The German Lost Art Foundation is dedicated to cultural property that was unlawfully seized from its owners – during the Nazi era, the colonial period, and in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the GDR – as well as to cultural losses resulting from the Second World War. In order to determine whether objects were wrongfully taken in historical contexts of injustice, the Foundation supports provenance research and operates the databases Lost Art and Proveana.
The Lost Art Database documents cultural objects that were seized from victims of Nazi persecution, especially Jewish owners, between 1933 and 1945 (“Nazi-looted art”), or for which such a loss cannot be ruled out, as well as cultural objects displaced due to wartime events (“war losses”).
The research database Proveana provides results from funded research projects and contributes to the transparency and advancement of provenance research through the systematic documentation of historical information. It covers four research contexts: Nazi confiscated cultural property, war-related displacements, cultural property seized in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the GDR, and cultural goods and collections from colonial contexts.
Conference Theme
Where do we stand between vision and practical implementation of digital provenance research? The conference “The Future of Digital Provenance Research – Dreams and Realities” provides a platform for critically reflecting on current methods, technologies, and practical applications in digitally supported provenance research. The aim is to bring together interdisciplinary perspectives, highlight innovative approaches, and strengthen knowledge transfer between research and practice – including beyond traditional cultural heritage institutions.
Key topics include:
• Digital infrastructures and research data management
• Interoperability and data standards (e.g. CIDOC CRM, IIIF)
• Sustainable data architectures and digital workflows
• Automated data capture, matching, analysis, and visualization
In this context, the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence and machine learning will also be critically examined.
We particularly welcome contributions from the Digital Humanities and cultural studies that combine innovative methods with practical relevance for provenance research, including projects connected to international initiatives such as DARIAH, Europeana, or similar infrastructures.
Special attention will be given to ethical, legal, and political dimensions, including:
• Handling sensitive data and data protection
• Questions of authenticity and copyright
• Bias and responsibility in the use of digital technologies
Practice-based case studies from cultural heritage institutions are especially encouraged and should offer space for reflecting on experiences, challenges, and insights. We also invite student initiatives and experimental projects employing new tools and digital workflows to contribute perspectives on future developments.
Target audience:
• Researchers and practitioners from all disciplines and career stages
• International contributions are explicitly welcome
• Students are invited to present their projects in a dedicated format
Submissions:
Contributions may be submitted in the following formats:
• Paper (20 minutes): in-depth discussion of a (transdisciplinary) research question
• Short presentations/thought-provoking talks (10 minutes): case studies, workshop reports, best practices, or technical solutions
• Poster (DIN A0, portrait): especially for practice-oriented projects and methods
Please submit your proposal as a single document containing a short description (max. 400 words) and a brief CV (max. 250 words). Indicate your preferred contribution format (presentation, short presentation, or poster). Send the document by email with the subject line “CFP Future of Digital Provenance Research – Dreams and Realities” by June 30, 2026, to the following address: cfp@kulturgutverluste.de. You will receive a response by July 10, 2026.
Conference languages: English and German (no translation provided)
Participation is free of charge.
Venue: Museum of Cultural History Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke-Straße 68–73, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany
Publication:
The conference will be streamed live on YouTube. All presentations will be recorded and published on YouTube. Posters will be made available in the event documentation section of the website https://kulturgutverluste.de.
Organizers: German Lost Art Foundation
Concept: Dr. Andrea Baresel-Brand, Juliane Kraske
Organization: Heinrich Natho
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