Cashing in the Kaiser's Art: The Hohenzollern Deal Decoded
Understanding the Hohenzollern Accord: Key Points Explained - Insider's Guide to the Hohenzollern Agreement: Crucial Facts Unveiled
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Y'all ready for some history? Here's the lowdown on the long-awaited art treasure deal between the Hohenzollerns and the state! After nearly a century of legal wrangling, the famed art and treasures of the Hohenzollerns have finally found a home - kinda.
On a recent Friday, the German Historical Museum turned in their bid to end this artistic tug-of-war, and the other institutions followed suit. The final line was drawn, and the controversial ownership of thousands of priceless artworks, antiques, and whatnots is, at last, settled. You better believe Berliners are stoked to have those beauties on display!
The Hohenzollerns, once the powerful and wealthy lot that provided the Prussia monarchy since the 1800s and the German emperors, couldn't be happier about this monumental achievement. The German Culture Minister, goofily named Wolfram Weimer, stated: "A century later, we wrapped this monarchy-to-republic era dispute in the best possible way."
Now, let's dive into the nitty-gritty details about this centuries-old quarrel and get you up to speed:
Who tf are the Hohenzollerns?
Think of them as the Kardashians of the 1800s - famous, wealthy, and ruling everything. They ruled Prussia all the way from the 18th century to 1918 when the German Kaiser Wilhelm II got the boot and went into hiding. The family's property was seized, but back in 1926, they thought they had it sorted, but open questions remained. You remember how petty arguments can get among royals, right?
After the German reunion, the Hohenzollerns demanded the pieces that had been taken during the Soviet occupation or in the GDR.
But what was the beef about?
The issue revolved around loot from castles and manor houses, ya know, the usual stuff like mementos, furniture, textiles, paintings, library, and archive collections, and other fancy trinkets worth a ton of cash. The crown jewel in this dispute is the former collection of the Hohenzollern Museum, operating since 1877 in the Monbijou Palace in Berlin. Bad luck for the museum, it got demolished in 1959 due to East Berlin bureaucracy.
When'd the negotiations kick off?
Talks went down since 2014, with the Hohenzollerns invoking the so-called Compensation Performances Act. If conditions are met, the state forks over some dough for property seized during occupational or occupational reasons. They wanted to get back their movable items as much as possible. At times, they even demanded the right to reside in Cecilienhof Castle in Potsdam, but the state and local authorities shot that down.
Numerous lawsuits followed, with discussions about the Hohenzollerns' role during the Nazi era, specifically Wilhelm's son and heir, Crown Prince of Prussia (1882-1951). 'Cause according to the law, no compensation is doled out to those that fanned the flames of the Nazi system. In 2023, the family yanked their lawsuits, and negotiations started again in October 2024.
So, what's the deal, man?
In the end, most of the contested art treasures remain in museums managed by the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg (SPK), the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK), and the German Historical Museum (DHM).
Cultural Minister Weimer pointed out the Lucas Cranach the Elder portrait of Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg, Baroque ivory furniture from the collection of Johann Moritz of Nassau-Siegen, and the table service for the 1750 acquired Breslau City Palace as some of the star pieces.
The agreement settles ownership relations and stipulates that the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation contributes 1,685 works to the newly-formed "Foundation for Hohenzollern Art Ownership." The public has the majority stake in this not-for-profit foundation.
Additionally, objects from the so-called "19-list" of outstanding artworks and seven " Tabatieren," elaborately decorated tobacco boxes, are now clearly assigned to the public hand.
The Hohenzollerns relinquish ownership claims for these objects in exchange for receiving other disputed pieces. This includes items compiled for negotiations on a 2018 list called the "C-list," along with seven Tabatieren.
What did the Hohenzollerns walk away with?
Two of the Tabatierens will permanently be on display in museums. Yet, the Hohenzollerns can lay claim to the other five Tabatierens, estimated to be worth around €20 million and potentially more.
The family can freely dispose of the pieces assigned to them. They also scored three seats on the board of the Hohenzollern Art Property Foundation, but with the public holding a two-thirds majority. The complete list of distributed items has yet to be revealed, and no official statements have been made on the items’ estimated value, which runs in the hundreds of millions.
- The ongoing politics surrounding the Hohenzollern art treasure deal have finally reached a resolution, with the German Historical Museum and other institutions agreeing to a division of the priceless artworks.
- Amidst the general news about the art deal, the Hohenzollerns, once powerful rulers, stand to benefit from the agreement, with the chance to reclaim some of the contested artifacts and potentially regaining control over valuable pieces, such as the five Tabatierens, estimated to be worth around €20 million.
