The long-standing dispute over the ownership of thousands of art objects between the House of Hohenzollern and the German state has been settled. Cultural State Minister Wolfram Weimer announced in Berlin that the more than ten-year asset dispute has been resolved, bringing nearly 100 years of uncertainty to an end. "After trusting discussions, there is now a breakthrough," Weimer said, according to sources.
The agreement ensures that the art objects will physically remain in the collections of the Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg, the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, and the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin, thus guaranteeing public accessibility. Visitors can continue to see and admire these art objects in exhibitions at these institutions.
Since 2014, the House of Hohenzollern, led by Georg Friedrich Prince of Prussia, has been negotiating with the federal government and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg over the ownership of art and collection items. The dispute involved around 27,000 objects, including valuable artworks, furniture, and historical artifacts that are central to the art and collection history of Prussia and German history as a whole.
A central point of the agreement is the establishment of a non-profit foundation called Stiftung Hohenzollernscher Kunstbesitz (Foundation of Hohenzollern Art Property). Through this foundation, all objects from the former Hohenzollern Museum will be transferred, affecting approximately 27,000 items. In the foundation's board, the public authorities will have six representatives, while the House of Hohenzollern will have three.
"Through this agreement, we have settled a dispute that has cost both sides time, money, and energy for many years," Weimer stated. He added, "This agreement is a tremendous success for the cultural location of Germany and the art-interested public." Weimer believes that the big winner is the public, who will continue to see the collections in museums.
The settlement also resolves the legal uncertainty that remained despite a property settlement made in 1926 between the then State of Prussia and the Hohenzollerns regarding ownership. For almost 100 years, the uncertainty complicated negotiations, which primarily concerned questions of ownership and the Hohenzollerns' demands for compensation in the millions for expropriated castles and inventory, including artworks.
The agreement will become legally effective as soon as the Foundation Council of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz and the Board of Trustees of the Deutsches Historisches Museum have also agreed, with the approval expected in the coming weeks.
"We do not wish to comment further on this," said a spokesman for Georg Friedrich Prince of Prussia upon request. The spokesman referred to the statement of the Ministry of Culture of the State of Brandenburg, which confirmed an agreement but did not provide any details. "Out of respect for the bodies, it will only be publicly communicated in all details then," the ministry stated.
Examples of the objects included in the agreement are a portrait of Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg by Lucas Cranach the Elder, baroque ivory furniture, and the table service for the Breslau City Palace acquired in 1750 by King Frederick II of Prussia. For some pieces, there are separate agreements, such as with seven tabatières, which are decorated tobacco boxes. Expert opinion determined that these seven tabatières are the property of the Hohenzollerns. The family has agreed to lend two of these tabatières to the public sector as a permanent loan.
"This settlement will finally bring legal peace and establish a lasting legal peace between the House of Hohenzollern and the public authorities," Weimer emphasized. He stated, "I will therefore advocate in the committees that we finalize this agreement."
The negotiations included discussions on whether the Hohenzollern family had "significantly aided" the Nazi regime, which was a point of contention in determining entitlements. While there were court proceedings, negotiations stalled, but with the withdrawal of lawsuits by the Hohenzollerns, the path to an agreement was reopened.
The Märkische Oderzeitung was the first to report on the likely impending settlement. Reports about a possible agreement had already appeared in the past days, indicating the progress of the negotiations.
The agreement has not yet come into effect. The supervisory bodies of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz and the Deutsches Historisches Museum will meet in the coming weeks to approve the settlement.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.