| Campus Gotha, Gotha Research Library, Knowledge, Spaces, and Media, Research

Gotha Research Library takes part in the International Day of Provenance Research

The International Day of Provenance Research will take place for the seventh time on 9 April. More than 100 cultural institutions in eight countries have registered their participation and the Gotha Research Library of the University of Erfurt will also be taking part with two blog posts. Dr Daniel Gehrt writes about "Water Damage as a Mark of Provenance? New Light on the Oldest Reformation Documents in the Gotha Research Library" and explores the question of the extent to which water damage can be a feature of provenance and help in reconstructing former collections. In her article, Dr Petra Weigel provides insights into "Provenance Issues in the Gotha Perthes Collection at the Gotha Research Library’"

young researcher in the Gotha Research Library

The action day has been held once a year on the second Wednesday in April since 2019. It is of great importance for provenance research, as it highlights the social and scientific relevance of our work and at the same time provides a broad audience with insights into the methods of a field of research that usually takes place behind the scenes of the areas of curatorial work that are visible to visitors. This globally unique event cooperation between researchers from a wide range of institutions and establishments on 9 April is in line with the long-standing successful efforts of the Arbeitskreis Provenienzforschung e.V. to create transparency and networking within a still young research community that has set itself the goal of shedding light on the provenance of cultural objects (not only) in public institutions. The wide-ranging programme, which currently includes more than 120 events, focuses on topics such as cultural assets seized as a result of Nazi persecution, cultural assets from colonial contexts and objects expropriated in the Soviet occupation zone/GDR, as well as object and collection histories in general.

Read the blog posts by Dr Daniel Gehrt and Dr Petra Weigel here!

Background Research Association for Provenance Research

The “Arbeitskreis Provenienzforschung e.V.” (Research Association for Provenance Research) is an internationally active network of academics and experts who have been researching the provenance and unlawful seizure of cultural assets since 2000. The working group has been organised as a registered association since 2014. Its central tasks include providing professional support for provenance research in all its fields of activity and promoting interdisciplinary exchange. The working group now has over 600 members from eleven countries.

More links

Back