France passes law to help return art looted by Nazis to Jewish owners

France has passed a law making it easier to return works of art seized by Nazi Germany during World War II to their Jewish owners or heirs.

A painting by Henri Matisse entitled 'The Blue Blouse' at the Kunstmuseum Bern was donated by Georges F. Keller, who had ties to a Frenchman who traded art with Germans in Nazi-occupied Paris. © Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

The law, adopted unanimously by both houses of parliament on Thursday, will fast-track claims on art stolen during the German occupation of France during World War II that ended up in French museums.

Nazi Germany had a policy of seizing art as part of its persecution of Jews in occupied areas, and is estimated to have taken 100,000 works of art from France alone, according to France's culture ministry.

Some 60,000 pieces were located in Germany after the war and brought back to France, where most were returned to their owners or their heirs. But 2,200 works went to French state-owned museums.

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The restitution of those 2,200 items to their rightful owners has been complicated by French legislation that says museums' collections are "inalienable" and cannot be broken up.

This meant that parliament had to pass a special law for each item to be handed back.

Mon premier projet de loi vient d’être adopté à l’unanimité à l’Assemblée nationale ! Il permettra de faciliter les restitutions des biens culturels spoliés aux juifs entre 1933 et 1945. Fière d’avoir porté cette loi de reconnaissance, de justice et d’action. pic.twitter.com/FKjxn1yS2M

— Rima Abdul Malak (@RimaAbdulMalak) June 29, 2023

Fast-tracking restitution

Under the new law, restitutions can be made much faster, with the government required simply to obtain authorisation from a special committee.

The French parliament is also preparing to pass a similar law to facilitate the restitution of human remains kept in public collections in France. 

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"This is a law of action, ensuring that the duty of remembrance and vigilance translates into concrete legal action," said Minister for Culture Rima Abdul Malak on Thursday.

It will help "shed light on our history and our future", she added.

The rightful owners of stolen art will also be able to come to an amicable settlement with museums if they prefer compensation to restitution.

(with AFP)