„What was stolen should be returned”
“What was stolen should be returned”

The challenges of returning works of art from former colonial powers to their countries of origin

Author(s): Julia Filbier
Subject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, Cultural history, History of Art
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: postcolonialism; restitution of art; looting; cultural heritage; Sarr-Savoy Report
Summary/Abstract: What can be done with a stolen work of art? It should be returned. However, not always expressing the willingness to return it is followed by real action. Some of the countries which possess large collections declare to be guided by the principle “what was stolen should be returned”, others avoid the subject. The article aims to explore if and how selected former colonial powers deal with the problem of returning stolen works of art, what legal forms they use and what the final effect of their actions is. The solutions discussed are those adopted in France and the Netherlands.

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