Thousands of exhibits in East German museums could have been expropriated during the GDR and Soviet occupation, according to researchers. According to estimates by experts from the Brandenburg Museum Association, around three to four percent of the collections in the federal state could have such an origin.
This is a very high number compared to exhibits from the time of Nazi persecution, said provenance researcher Alexander Sachse at an online event organized by the association. "That's dozens, if not hundreds of objects per museum that are affected," emphasized Sachse.
Research into the origin of art and cultural objects is known as provenance research. In Germany, it reconstructs spoliations from the Nazi era or colonialism as well as those from the Soviet occupation and the GDR.
