generalspeaking

Looted Treasures

Infamously, Nazi Germany, while on the rampage to destroy all vestiges of European democracy, along with its intention to annihilate all human beings who had the misfortune of having Jewish ancestry, busied itself also in expropriating, lifting, acquiring, appropriating, stealing, valuable art works from various sources. From sources such as the museums and galleries of other countries they occupied and from private collections of undeserving art lovers, such as Jews - destined for mass murder, in any event.

Since the end of World War II, and the very public knowledge of the pains the Fascists went to, to rid Europe of its Jews through the planned and quite successful Holocaust, Germany officially rid of fascism and extremism has made strenuous efforts to redeem itself, to make amends, to secure itself back into the good graces of the international community. As a country and a nation deserving of taking an honoured place among its peers.

In the process it has indeed succeeded in putting its blemished past behind. A country that had once indulged in the most massive-scale invasions of other nations, confiscating their national authority in place of its own, netting and gathering its Jewish populations for transport to death camps, absorbing estimable items of historical and cultural value for its own displays, Germany has admitted its dreadful past, disowned it and become a trusted ally of those it once occupied and dominated.

At the initiation of WWII, Germany and Russia were allies; fascist Germany and the communist USSR, part of the Axis that included Italy, Japan and more minor countries like Iran, Finland, Hungary and Romania. But then there was a falling-out between Stalin and Hitler. And Nazi Germany sought to invade Communist Russia. It failed, but in the attempt it did manage to loot a Berlin museum of its priceless artefacts from the European Bronze Age.

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

"I think this is a very sensitive question... So if we want any progress, we should not blow the problem out of proportion but seek ways to solve it. Probably we should not start a discussion now because people will appear on the Russian side who would evaluate the damage done to our art during World War Two." 
Russian President Vladimir Putin

Germany, at a time when it has made good on its promises to return looted art to its true owners -- and at a time when museums all over the world have become sensitive to having deprived nations of their ancestral artefacts when in the 19th Century and before it was common for militaries like that of Napoleon's entering Egypt to destroy and to loot ancient treasures, as was also done by envoys, diplomats and entrepreneurs, finally returning ill-gotten treasures -- would appreciate reciprocation.

Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, had scheduled a joint news conference with the Russian president on the occasion of both appearing in St. Petersburg to open an exhibition at the Hermitage. An exhibition that includes a hoard of 821 ancient gold pieces: plates, rings and ornate bowls. Called the Eberswalde Hoard, the treasures were discovered by in an excavation east of Berlin in 1913.

Chancellor Merkel had planned to appeal to the Kremlin for the return of the art - reflecting international law. Germany has requested its return for decades. Russia has declined the requests, considering them to represent just and due reparations for the damage inflicted during Hitler's military invasion of the Soviet Union.

How perfectly uncivil.

Labels: Archaeology, Art, Controversy, Germany, Hypocrisy, Russia

posted by Pieface @ Saturday, June 22, 2013