“Lieber Code was used a code of ethics regarding pillaging(looting) and destruction.”
The Lieber Code was used a code of ethics regarding pillaging(looting) and destruction. The Lieber Code mentions not destroying places of worhip, museums of fine art and educational institutions. Furthermore items from these places should not be privately appropriated or destoyed during war.
The international world based on the Lieber Code created a codified version to be adopted by all countries in 1899 and later in 1907 known as The Hague Conventions and Regulations of 1899 and 1907
These two conventions laid down the groundwork for how art was to be dealt with for both World Wars. In addition they offered a structure for peosecution for those not obeying the law.
After World War II, the model for capturing cultural items was revised and created as a set of dinstinctive rules known as Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property during Armed Conflict First Protocol.
Protection of Cultural Property during Armed Conflict First Protocol.
Since 1954 new protocals have been added with the most recent in 2003.
Although it seems the protocals straight forward in what terms and conditions should be met. It seems that even museums have found ways to avoid repatriation of artifacts within their walls
The somewhat valid arguments against repatriation include other museums may have not the proper space or storage facilities.
Another popular excuse is that museums will be empty if all art were to be returned to their countries of origin.
It seems that as recent as 2017, this debate is being revisited by museums in Europe more specifically France's collection of Western African art from its colonial days.
Museums in England have been discussing returning bones and other human remains to the various spots they were sent from for study within their museum system
Other museums have decided to share catalogs with each other to easier identify stolen art and artifacts as well.
My opinion is that if the articles are repatriated, museums can create agreements with those countries to still make the art available all around the world.
Museums can come up with an educational module explaining how colonization worked. Yet at the same highlighting the inability of most people of getting to some of these countries to actually see them there.
Zach Mond is a freelance ghost writer who researches a variety of topics
19 / MAXPIRA LUXURY LIFE /INVESTING: ArtTheft: A Historical Timeline