Washington Convention: Definition

The Washington Convention, also known as the Washington Principles, is a non-binding international agreement adopted on December 3, 1998, by 44 countries. This agreement aims to inventory artworks confiscated by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945 and to identify their pre-war owners or their heirs.

Objectives of the Washington Convention

The primary objective of the Washington Convention is to facilitate the restitution of artworks seized by the Nazi regime to their rightful owners or their heirs. To achieve this, it advocates for international collaboration among various stakeholders, such as governments, museums, auction houses, and private collectors.

Importance in the Transport of Artworks

The Washington Convention is of paramount importance in the field of artwork transportation. It imposes specific constraints to ensure that confiscated artworks are correctly identified and returned before being moved. This involves a thorough verification of the provenance of artworks, especially during their export or import, to ensure they are not products of confiscations. 

Notable Restitutions

Since the adoption of the Washington Principles, several artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. For instance, the 16th-century statuette of Maria Lactans, initially owned by the Berlin banker and collector Jakob Goldschmidt, was returned to his heirs in 2023 by a German government foundation.

The Washington Convention continues to have a significant impact on the policy of returning confiscated artworks, raising awareness among the public and institutions about the importance of provenance research and the restitution of stolen cultural property.