Zurich mayor on Bührle art collection: ‘We should have reacted earlier’

Mauch on the Bührle collection: "We should have reacted earlier" Keystone-SDA

Zurich's mayor, Corine Mauch, has criticised the lack of critical view of the Bührle art collection. "We should have reacted earlier," she said in an interview with CH Media.

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By “we” she meant the city, the canton, the art society, herself, “all of us”, she said in the interview published on Monday. The city should have critically assessed the loan agreement, which has since been replaced, at an earlier stage, Mauch said.

+ Zurich art museum to remove suspected Nazi-looted works

An investigation led by historian Raphael Gross concluded that the Bührle Foundation’s previous provenance research was inadequate. Many of the works were owned by Jews during the Second World War.

+ Historian urges further scrutiny of Zurich art collection’s provenance 

The investigation was commissioned by the City and Canton of Zurich and the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, the sponsor of the Kunsthaus Zürich, where numerous works from the collection are on display. Following the publication of the results, the parties involved announced further clarifications.

For Mauch, it is important to note that the report came to this conclusion from today’s perspective. As with all social changes, society’s view of this topic is constantly changing. “Today it is crucial for me that there is a will to continue the debate and provenance research,” she said.

Confrontation with history

The images would lead to Zurich and Switzerland coming to terms with their involvement during the Nazi era, she said. “We have to confront our history.”

The city is currently working on a “Culture of Remembrance Strategy”, which should be available by the end of next year, she said. Mauch called on the federal government to ensure that the National Commission for the Handling of Cultural Property Seized as a Result of Nazi Persecution takes on a role very quickly. The Senate approved the creation of the commission in June. The House of Representatives is still discussing a corresponding amendment to the federal law.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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