Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T04:42:38.962Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

New Swiss Law on Cultural Property

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2006

Marc Weber
Marc Weber
Affiliation:
Beglinger Holenstein, Attorneys-at-Law, Zürich. E-mail: mweber@beghol.ch
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

On June 1, 2005, the Swiss Federal Act on the International Transfer of Cultural Property (Cultural Property Transfer Act [CPTA]) and the regulations thereof became effective. The CPTA implements the minimal standards of the UNESCO Convention of 1970 on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export, and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The CPTA fills a gap, because Switzerland is not a member state of the Convention of June 24, 1995, on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (Unidroit Convention 1995). In addition, as a nonmember state of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Community (EEC), the Council Directive 93/7/EEC of March 15, 1993, on the Return of Cultural Objects Unlawfully Removed from the Territory of a Member State is not applicable. The CPTA enforces foreign export bans in Switzerland. However, claims in Switzerland for return of foreign, illegally exported cultural property are only successful when there is an agreement on the import and return of cultural property between Switzerland and the claiming foreign state. Like Switzerland, the claiming state must be a member state of the UNESCO Convention of 1970.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Cultural Property , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , February 2006 , pp. 99 - 113
Copyright
© 2006 International Cultural Property Society

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ammann, Renato. Das Fundrecht des Schweizerischen Zivilgesetzbuches (dissertation). Zürich, Switzerland, 1960.
Bergé, Jean-Sylvestre. “La Convention d'Unidroit sur les biens culturels.” Journal du droit international 127 (2000): 215–62.Google Scholar
Brent, Michel. “The Rape of Mali.” Archaeology ( May/June 1994): 26.Google Scholar
Calvo Caravaca, Alfonso-Luis. “Private International Law and the Unidroit Convention of 24th June 1995 on Stolen or Illegally Exported Eultural Objects.” In Festschrift für Erik Jayme, Vol. 1, edited by Heinz-Peter Mansel et al., 87–104, Berlin, Germany: Sellier European Law Publishers, 2004.
Candrian, Jérôme. L'immunité des Etats Face aux Droits de L'homme et à la Protection des Biens Culturels. Zürich, Switzerland: Schulthess, 2005.
Huscher, Phillip. “The Lost Manuscript.” In Program booklet Season 2005–06 [of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra], 50A.
Karrer, Pierre A., Karl. W. Arnold, and Paolo Michele Patocchi. Switzerland's Private International law, 2nd ed. Zürich, Switzerland: Schulthess, 1994.
Liver, Peter. “Art. 724 ZGB.” In Schweizerisches Privatrecht, edited by Arthur Meier-Hayoz, Vol. 5/1. Basel/Stuttgart, Switzerland: Helbing & Lichtenhahn, 1977.
Lufkin, Martha. “Why Nazi Loot Ceased Being ‘Stolen’ when U.S. Forces Seized It in Austria: The Federal ‘Schiele’ Case.” Art Antiquity and Law 5 (2000): 305–17.Google Scholar
Lufkin, Martha. “Whistling Past the Graveyard Isn't Enough: U.S. May Seek to Confiscate Painting Lent by Austrian Museum which Allegedly Knew it was Nazi Loot.” Art Antiquity and Law 7 (2002): 207–30.Google Scholar
Merryman, John Henry, and Albert E. Elsen. Law, Ethics and the Visual Arts, 4th ed., London: Kluwer Law International, 2002.
Murphy, J. David. “The People's Republic of China and the Illicit Trade in Cultural Property.” International Journal of Cultural Property 3 (1994): 227–42.Google Scholar
Nanetti, Francesco, and Francesca Squillante. “In tema di restituzione di beni culturali illecitamente trasferiti.” Rivista di diritto internazionale 80 (1997): 396–420.Google Scholar
O'Keefe, Patrick J. Commentary on the UNESCO 1970 Convention on Illicit Traffic. Leicester: Institute of Art and Law, 2000.
Prott, Lyndel V. “Cultural Heritage Law: The Perspective of the Source Nations.” Art Antiquity and Law 5 (2000): 333–42.Google Scholar
Raschèr, Andrea F. G. Kulturgütertransfer und Globalisierung. Zürich, Switzerland/Baden-Baden, Germany: Schulthess/Nomos, 2000.
Raschèr, Andrea F. G., March Bauen, Yves Fischer, and Marie-Noëlle Zen-Ruffinen. Cultural Property Transfer. Transfert des biens culturels.Trasferimento dei beni culturali. Kulturgütertransfer. Zürich, Swtizerland/Bruxelles, Belgium: Schulthess/Bruylant 2005.
Rey, Heinz. Die Grundlagen des Sachenrechts und das Eigentum, 2nd ed. Bern, Switzerland: Stämpfli, 2000.
Schwander, Ivo. “Art. 724 ZGB.” In Kommentar zum Schweizerischen Privatrecht, Schweizerisches Zivilgesetzbuch II, edited by Heinrich Honsell, Nedim Peter Vogt, and Thomas Geiser. Basel, Switzerland: Helbing & Lichtenhahn, 1998.
Siegfried, Felix. H. Internationaler Kulturgüterschutz in der Schweiz. Das Bundesgesetz über den internationalen Kulturgütertransfer (Kulturgütertransfergesetz, KGTG). Bern, Switzerland: Lang, 2006.
Siehr, Kurt. “International Art Trade and the Law.” Recueil des Cours 243 (1993-VI): 9–292.Google Scholar
Siehr, Kurt. “Das Sachenrecht der Kulturgüter. Kulturgütertransfergesetz und das schweizerische Sachenrecht.” In Festschrift für Heinz Rey zum 60. Geburtstag, edited by Heinrich Honsell et al. Zürich, Switzerland: Schulthess, 2003, 127–40.
The European Fine Art Foundation. The European Artmarket in 2002. Helvoirt, The Netherlands: TEFAF, 2002.
Weber, Marc. “Archäologische Objekte vor US-amerikanischen Gerichten.” In Liber discipulorum et amicorum. Festschrift für Prof. Dr. Kurt Siehr zum 65. Geburtstag, edited by Peter Johannes Weber et al. Zürich, Switzerland: Schulthess, 2001, 225–64.
Weber, Marc. Unveräußerliches Kulturgut im nationalen und internationalen Rechtsverkehr. Berlin, Germany/New York, United States: deGruyter, 2002.
Weber, Marc. “Bundesgesetz über den internationalen Kulturgütertransfer.” In Zeitschrift für Schweizerisches Recht 123 (2004): 495–525.Google Scholar
Weller, Matthias. “Freies Geleit für die Kunst.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 25 November 2005, 35.