Significant agreement reached: Hohenzollern heritage revitalized: fresh foundation assumes control
Hohenzollern Art Heritage Foundation Agreement Finalized
After a century of controversy, a final and legally binding agreement has been reached regarding the ownership of thousands of artworks and artifacts that were previously disputed and belonged to the German imperial Hohenzollern family.
The agreement, announced by the Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior in Potsdam, establishes the Hohenzollern Art Heritage Foundation, known as Stiftung Hohenzollernscher Kunstbesitz. This charitable foundation will now hold and manage these cultural assets, ensuring their preservation and rightful ownership within the context of the former German imperial house’s legacy.
The foundation will safeguard approximately 3,600 works of art and collectibles, including pieces worth millions. Some of these artworks are currently housed in institutions such as the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, and the German Historical Museum.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Hohenzollerns now have more control over the disposal of some of their confiscated wealth. They have the option to sell certain pieces, a freedom that was not previously mentioned. However, some pieces with disputed ownership have been assigned to the public authorities, while others remain with the Hohenzollerns.
The jointly established foundation is the core of the deal. It builds upon a 1926 contract aimed to resolve property disputes, but the controversy continued for almost a century. This resolution provides a clear, organized institutional structure, ending protracted disputes and ensuring the artworks’ preservation and rightful ownership.
This agreement is part of broader 2025 global and European developments around repatriation and restitution of culturally significant artifacts previously lost, stolen, or contested. It marks the conclusion of long-standing conflicts and draws a line under a century-long dispute. The establishment of the Hohenzollern Art Heritage Foundation brings an end to a decade-long dispute between the Hohenzollern family, the federal government, and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg.
[1] Source: Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior press release, 2022.
- The Hohenzollern Art Heritage Foundation, established according to the agreement, will oversee the management of these artworks and collectibles within the realm of general-news, which were previously owned by the German imperial Hohenzollern family.
- This charitable foundation, named Stiftung Hohenzollernscher Kunstbesitz, now falls under the category of general-news, as it is responsible for safeguarding approximately 3,600 works of art and collectibles, including pieces worth millions, ensuring their preservation and rightful ownership within the context of the former German imperial house’s legacy.
