Swiss commission begins work on disputed cultural heritage

Switzerland’s new commission on historically contested cultural heritage has begun work, SRF reported. Chaired by former Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga, the body will advise on disputed ownership and provenance cases and seek to mediate between parties.

The commission will focus on two areas: cultural property whose origins or ownership are disputed in connection with the Nazi era, and objects linked to colonialism. It will also advise the Federal Council and the administration, as such items are held not only by museums but also in federal collections.

One early case concerned a watercolour by French artist Paul Cézanne, shown on loan at the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen. The work is privately owned in the United States, and it remains unclear whether it was unlawfully taken from a Jewish collector or sold under duress. The commission did not issue a recommendation because it had not yet started work when the case was debated.

Vice-president Felix Uhlmann, a law professor from Basel, said the case was unusual, but the commission would consider whether it had jurisdiction if a comparable matter arose. Sommaruga said Switzerland had a particular responsibility to address Nazi-era art because it was an important trading place for art and cultural property during that period.

The commission has also launched an initial project on human remains, including skulls and skeletons that entered Swiss collections in questionable circumstances. Sommaruga described the commission’s remit covering both Nazi-era and colonial contexts as unique in Europe.

The body can make recommendations but cannot issue binding decisions like a court. SRF culture expert Stefan Zucker said its recommendations could nevertheless create significant pressure to find a solution. The commission is also intended to raise awareness of cultural property that may have been acquired unlawfully.