Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz Reopens Case on Welfenschatz Restitution Claims

Newly uncovered evidence prompts renewed discussions over whether the 1935 sale of the Welfenschatz was coerced under Nazi persecution.

The Welfenschatz, a collection of medieval religious artifacts valued at $300 million, was sold in 1935 by a group of Jewish owners to the Prussian state.
The sale's legality is being questioned due to evidence suggesting it was made under duress, including a forced Reichsfluchtsteuer payment enabling Alice Koch's emigration to Switzerland.
The Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (SPK), which currently holds the artifacts, has reopened discussions with three groups of claimants, including descendants of the original sellers.
The SPK delayed the case for months, citing the need to verify claimants' eligibility, but is now engaging with Germany's Advisory Commission on Nazi-looted art.
Criticism has been directed at both the SPK and the Advisory Commission for their slow progress, with calls for adherence to the Washington Principles on restitution.