Standards regarding the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects During the Nazi Era

This area of collections stewardship is of such sensitivity and high importance that it has separate standards and best-practice statements regarding a museum’s obligations. These statements have been promulgated by the field to provide guidance to museums in fulfilling their public trust responsibilities.

General Principles

The American Alliance of Museums, the U.S. National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM-US), and the American museum community are committed to continually identifying and achieving the highest standard of legal and ethical collections stewardship practices. The Alliance's Code of Ethics for Museums states that the “stewardship of collections entails the highest public trust and carries with it the presumption of rightful ownership, permanence, care, documentation, accessibility, and responsible disposal.”

Continue reading here.

(These Standards replace the "Guidelines concerning the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects During the Nazi Era" Approved, November 1999, Amended, April 2001, by the American Association of Museums' Board of Directors)