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State Collection Restitution Application Step-by-Step Plan

Step-by-step plan

One of the Restitutions Committee’s tasks is to give the Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) advice about decisions concerning restitution claims relating to artworks in the Dutch National Art Collection. The Netherlands Art Property Collection (NK collection) is a specific part of the Dutch National Art Collection. It consists of approximately 3,800 artworks with a ‘war record’. The Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) currently manages the collection. Many of the artworks are on loan to Dutch museums or government buildings. The Restitutions Committee only advises in the case of artworks from the Dutch National Art Collection at the request of the Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). A restitution application can be submitted to the RCE, which handles applications on behalf of the Minister of OCW.

‘Claim exhibition’ of paintings, drawings and tapestries in Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 1950

Checklist

  1. Which artwork is concerned?

  2. Is the loss related to the Nazi regime?

  3. Who was the original owner?

Submit an application for restitution to the RCE

The Restitutions Committee only advises in the case of artworks from the Dutch National Art Collection at the request of the Minister of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). The Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) deals with restitution applications on behalf of the Minister of OCW.

You can submit your restitution application by letter or e-mail to the RCE.

Send your letter/e-mail to:

The Minister of OCW
Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency
P.O. Box 1600
3800 BP Amersfoort
Netherlands
E-mail: restitutie@cultureelerfgoed.nl

Please state in your letter:

  • which artwork it concerns (at least the title, artist and current location or inventory number, preferably also a description);
  • who lost possession of the artwork involuntarily during the Nazi regime;
  • your relationship (according to inheritance law) to this person.

If you are represented, your authorized representative must submit a power of attorney, unless your authorized representative is a lawyer registered in the Netherlands

The RCE checks whether the artwork is indeed part of the Dutch National Art Collection. If  this is the case, and if the application comes within the scope of the policy, the RCE will submit the restitution request on behalf of the Minister of OCW to the Restitutions Committee for advice.