The Facts
The Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, the patron association of Kunsthaus Zürich, has agreed to enter discussions with the Foundation E. G. Bührle Collection to find sustainable solutions for the Bührle Collection, following an independent review by historian Prof. Raphael Gross. The 167-page report, commissioned by the City and Canton of Zurich and the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft and released in late June 2024, concludes that considerable further research is required to clarify the issue of former Jewish ownership. The review found that a considerable number of works in the collection were in Jewish ownership prior to the Second World War, and that while the Foundation has conducted its own research, it has not met the high standards set by the Kunstgesellschaft in its 2023 provenance strategy and subsidy agreement. The works have been on long-term loan in the Chipperfield building of the Kunsthaus since October 2021, with the loan agreement running until the end of 2034.
The Signal
The report's findings place the Kunsthaus in a difficult position, as the subsidy agreement with the City of Zurich stipulates that no works confirmed as cultural property confiscated as a result of Nazi persecution may be exhibited. However, the Foundation E. G. Bührle Collection remains the owner and is responsible for handling third-party claims, while further in-depth research will take years and incur high costs. For collectors and institutions, this case underscores the escalating standards for provenance research in Europe, where public funding now explicitly ties restitution obligations to exhibition rights. The outcome could set a precedent for how long-term loans of contested collections are managed, particularly when the lender is a private foundation rather than a public museum.
- People: Raphael Gross, Philipp Hildebrand
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich
- Locations: Zurich
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