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Acquisitions and Donations
Acquisitions, indefinite loans, and donations enrich the holdings of the Foundation. All of the collections are continually supplemented in this way. The SPK ensures that the provenance of every new object is clarified.
Unique and extensive holdings form the basis for the work of the five institutions of the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation). These are supplemented continually and systematically by acquisitions. Making new purchases is a regular aspect of the libraries' work, in particular.
In many cases, the Foundation's institutions have to rely on assistance from patrons and sponsors to enlarge the existing holdings. The SPK owes many new additions to the generosity of private collectors, as well as to the committed support of the various associations of friends. Thanks to donations and indefinite (so-called "permanent") loans, members of the public enjoy access to cultural artifacts that could not be purchased from state funds. Gifts and purchases from private collectors have long enriched the Foundation's various holdings and raised their profiles. The famous bust of Nefertiti, for example, was a gift from its distinguished patron James Simon.
Provenance research and the protection of cultural heritage are core areas of the SPK's work. When making acquisitions and accepting donations, the Foundation always ensures that the provenance of the new additions has been clarified. This prevents objects whose ownership is not certain, or trafficked objects – especially antiquities from illegal excavations – from entering its collections.
