Eckhard LAUFER
(Polizei Hessen, AG Raubgrabung HLKA, Germany)
Is this statement justified? What are the roles played by collectors, thieves, looters, fences, agents, experts, restorers, antique dealers, museums, police and court officials, monument protection agencies and archaeological institutions, as well as the cultural and educational policies of the countries in which this trade takes place? What role does the injured party (the country of origin) play? Is provenance established simply by guaranteeing the authenticity of an object? Is everything real? Does purchase from an antique dealer, as well as customs and export approval, establish the legal origin of the object of cultural value? Is one single signature on an antique dealer’s contract enough to show that the cultural asset is the legal property of the deliverer and is free of rights of ownership of third parties? Who still lacks sufficient awareness to take the correct decisions? Is resignation more common than action? Are existing laws sufficient? Which loopholes in the law must be closed? Where are the problems in the investigative process? How can we effectively intervene in order to slow this illegal trade?
Using a fictitious case, based on police inquiry proceedings against looters and fences in Germany, this presentation will provide information and answers to these questions.