Early bird registration discounts end January 29. The Annual Meeting will take place March 24-27, 2010, in Washington, DC. See www.asil.org/am10 for details.
We would also like to call for submissions to the Interest Group newsletter, which we hope to have published before the Annual Meeting. Submissions on any topic in art and cultural heritage law are welcome and should range between 500-2500 words. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2010.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to get more involved with the Interest Group. We are also looking for regular contributors and editors for the newsletter,
Cristian DeFrancia & Jennifer Kreder
Co-Chairs, ASIL Interest Group on Cultural Heritage & the Arts http://www.asil.org/interest-groups-view.cfm?groupid=60
March 26, 2010 Panel Description:
Wrestling the Dead Hand of History: Perspectives on a Proposed State Department Commission on Nazi Looted Art
The Nazis stole more art than any regime in history, targeting Jewish-owners and even planning to construct a museum in Linz, Austria, Hitler?s birthplace, to rival the Louvre. Some of that art was auctioned in the infamous Jew-auctions now universally regarded as illegal, but much was funneled into the black market often with the proceeds paid into blocked accounts owners never could access. It is estimated that 100,000 or more art objects looted by Nazis or sold under Nazi duress continue to circulate in the market. Claims to art displaced during the Holocaust exploded in 1998, leading to the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets hosted by the United States. In June 2009, the Holocaust Era Assets Conference in Prague resulted in the Terezín Declaration re-emphasizing the Washington Conference Principles. Yet significant disagreement still exists as costly litigation continues to be filed, involving sixty years of evidence, different limitations periods, and the laws of multiple nations. Recently, the State Department Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, J. Christian Kennedy, has conducted a series of Town Hall Meetings to get the views of interested individuals and organizations on the establishment of a U.S. commission on cultural materials displaced during World War II. This panel will explore the pros and cons of establishing a commission to deal with Holocaust-looted artwork and how such a commission should be structured.
Time & Place
Friday, March 26, 2:30-4:00PM, The Ritz Carlton, 1150 22nd Street, NW, Washington, DC
Speakers
- Ambassador J. Christian Kennedy, U.S. Department of State, Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues
- Stuart E. Eizenstat, Head of U.S. Delegation to the Prague Holocaust Era Assets Conferences
- Professor Lucille Roussin, Founder and Director, Holocaust Restitution Claims Practicum, Cardozo School of Law
- Charles A. Goldstein, Counsel, Herrick, Feinstein, LLP
Moderator:
Professor Jennifer Anglim Kreder, Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University
See www.asil.org/am10 for details.
