Hanover City Library restitutes Nazi artifacts to their descendants
Hanover City Library Returns Voltaire's 'History of Charles XII' to Meinhardt Lemke's Heirs
In a significant event, the city library of Hanover, Germany, has returned a historical work by Voltaire to the heirs of Jewish writer Meinhardt Lemke. The book, titled 'History of Charles XII, King of Sweden', was originally owned by Lemke and was part of the city library's collections.
The return of the book marks a significant step in the restitution of cultural artifacts to their rightful owners. The city administration made the announcement on Thursday, highlighting the symbolic gesture of reconciliation for past wrongs.
The book, which has been transported to New York, was previously in the possession of the city library of Hanover. Meinhardt Lemke was a notable figure associated with this particular copy, and the return signifies a process of recognising rightful ownership and correcting past acquisitions.
While detailed records about the return specify that the book was part of collections displaced or held during historical events—likely connected to World War II or earlier 20th-century upheavals—the exact restitution process may require consulting archives of the Hanover City Library, records related to wartime or post-war restitutions of cultural assets, or specialized databases on book provenance and restitution cases.
The Hanover City Library, known for its extensive collections, carried out this restitution in accordance with agreements or legal decisions honoring the rights of heirs to recover family-owned books. The heirs, as rightful owners, received the volume back, ensuring the preservation of their family’s heritage.
This return is not just a return of a book, but a return of a piece of history and a symbol of cultural heritage. It serves as a reminder of the importance of restitution and the need to correct past wrongs. For the heirs of Meinhardt Lemke, it is a significant moment, marking a step towards the preservation and recognition of their family's history.
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