Nazi gold train: 'No evidence' of discovery in Poland

Geologists examined the site where the train was rumoured to be buried

There is no evidence that a Nazi train rumoured to be carrying gems and gold has been found in Poland, experts say. Researchers presenting findings about the alleged discovery in the Polish town of Walbrzych said there might be a tunnel but no train. However, one of those who claimed to have discovered the train said he still believed it was there. It was claimed that the train was hidden underground near Wroclaw as Soviet forces approached in 1945. The Nazis had many miles of tunnels constructed near Walbrzych during World War Two. Advertisement In August, Deputy Culture Minister Piotr Zuchowski said that ground-penetrating radar images had left him "99% convinced" that a German military train was buried near Walbrzych. He said images appeared to show a train equipped with gun turrets. But on Tuesday, Professor Janusz Madej from Krakow's AGH University of Science and Technology said its geological survey of the site had found no evidence of a train.

"There may be a tunnel. There is no train," he told a press conference in Walbrzych.

Image caption Many tunnels dating from World War Two have been found near Walbrzych

Local folklore said an armoured train had been carrying gold from what is now the Polish city of Wroclaw as the Soviet army closed in at the end of World War Two. It was said to have gone missing near Ksiaz castle, 3km (two miles) from Walbrzych. Earlier this year, Piotr Koper, from Poland, and Andreas Richter, from Germany, told authorities that they knew the location of the train. Through lawyers, they said that they wanted 10% of the value of anything that was found. At the news conference on Tuesday, Mr Koper questioned the survey methodology and said he still believed the train was there. Information about the train's location was reported to have come in a deathbed confession from a person who claimed they had helped to conceal it. Between 1943 and 1945, the Nazis forced prisoners of war to dig more than 9km of tunnels near Walbrzych that were apparently to be used as factories. Some are now tourist attractions.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35104117

Help find missing public art: Organisation asks public to help uncover missing pieces

Stolen - The Watchers, Lynn Chadwick, 1960, Roehampton University, South West London © Historic England.

LONDON - England's post-war public art, created by some of the most important artists of the 20th century, is "disappearing before the public's eyes". Historic England has discovered that a growing number of sculptures, architectural friezes and murals - made between the Second World War and the mid-1980s - have been destroyed, sold, lost or stolen. Through their own research, and information from the Twentieth Century Society, the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, from historians and some of the artists themselves, they are building up a picture of just how much art has disappeared. Historic England knows that England has lost a worrying amount of artwork from the streets, housing estates, work places, shopping centers and schools for which the pieces were designed. Although many of the works have been destroyed completely, some could still be out there. Historic England is asking the public to come forward with information, evidence and photographs to help them to track them down and inform a major exhibition at Somerset House in London as part of its Utopia Season.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: "Part of England's national collection of public artworks is disappearing before our eyes. Historic England's research is only the tip of the iceberg as it's almost impossible to trace what has happened to every piece of public art since 1945. What we do know is that this art work was commissioned and created for everyone to enjoy, and it should remain accessible to all. We're making efforts to protect the best examples of post-war public art that still exist, and make sure that it continues to enhance the public realm. But we also want to raise awareness of just how vulnerable these works can be and we want the public to help us track down lost pieces." From a bronze Henry Moore sculpture stolen to order for its scrap value, to an abstract steel sculpture by Barry Flanagan in Cambridge that was vandalized beyond repair, or the seven meter long steel structure by Bryan Kneale that was sold at auction last year, these public artworks are vulnerable and need protecting. In 2012 Wakefield Council went as far as to remove its Henry Moore from public display and put it in secure storage because of the spate of thefts. Often, the artists themselves don't know their works are in danger until it's too late and the public isn't consulted on what should happen next. Since they were installed from the early 1950s on wards, works have been vandalized, destroyed, sold and stolen. The price of scrap metal, the need for many public bodies to fill funding gaps, pressure from redevelopment, and vandalism are all reasons why this national collection of public art is being eroded.

Historic England (previously known as English Heritage) is currently identifying the post-war public art that could be protected through listing. They are also running an exhibition at Somerset House, "Out There: Our Post-War Public Art" from 3 February to 10 April 2016, to help people to learn about this national collection and the stories behind it, so they will recognize the importance of these works. Historic England wants to strengthen the public's sense of ownership of its own collection, to make it harder for it be stolen or destroyed.

Historic England has compiled a list of works that have been lost, sold, stolen or destroyed. http://historicengland.org.uk/news-and-features/missing-public-art/ If anyone knows anything about the fate of these works, or other works not mentioned here, they can get in touch by emailing outthere@HistoricEngland.org.uk or calling 0207 973 3295.

They are also asking the public to send them any pictures of the missing pieces that they have taken over the years. They hope any further details that emerge can become part of the Out There exhibition, and the stories behind the disappearance of these works of art can be told.

http://artdaily.com/news/83701/Help-find-missing-public-art--Organisation-asks-public-to-help-uncover-missing-pieces-#.VnLrJlLj1-4

Two new International Council of Museums tools to fight illicit traffic in cultural goods

The Emergency Red List of Libyan Cultural Objects at Risk.

PARIS- The illicit traffic in cultural goods is not a new practice; however, conflicts in the Middle East (Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Yemen) and Africa (Libya, Mali) have made the problem worse. Entire swathes of cultural heritage have been damaged or destroyed, particularly by ISIS, feeding the networks through which stolen and looted objects travel. In order to fight illicit traffic, we must constantly adapt to emergency situations and new practices, such as Internet sales. In the face of these challenges, ICOM, which has been committed to the fight against the illicit traffic in cultural goods since it was founded, has developed new tools for gathering information and raising awareness in support of existing national and international laws. At the end of 2015, ICOM published two vital tools for its ongoing commitment to fighting illicit traffic in cultural goods: the Emergency Red List of Libyan Cultural Objects at risk, and the book Countering illicit traffic in cultural goods: the global challenge of protecting the world’s heritage.

THE EMERGENCY RED LIST OF LIBYAN CULTURAL OBJECTS AT RISK With two rival governments – one based in Tripoli and the other, recognised by the international community, in Tobrouk – the country is in a state of chaos. ISIS has moved from east to west, to Derna, Sirte and Sabratha. ICOM has been monitoring the situation at museums and sites since the beginning of the conflict in February 2011 and supported an in-country assessment in 2012. The Emergency Red List of Libyan Cultural Objects at Risk was produced by ICOM with scientific support from Vincent Michel (Director of the French Archaeological Mission in Libya, Université de Poitiers) and a group of 12 other experts from Libya, the United States and a number of European countries. It identifies categories of objects at risk, including funerary sculptures and busts – particularly some female funerary busts typical of Cyrene – and objects from the Greek, Punic and Roman periods and the Islamic and Medieval eras, such as coins decorated with the famous silphium, a now-extinct ancient plant.

THE PUBLICATION: COUNTERING ILLICIT TRAFFIC IN CULTURAL GOODS – THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE OF PROTECTING THE WORLD’S HERITAGE This publication, culmination of three years of the Observatory's work, discusses the subject of illicit traffic accurately and honestly. Published in English (and also accessible online), the book is a collection of essays by 14 international experts from a variety of disciplines (archaeologists, academics, curators, lawyers, journalists). With their wide range of backgrounds and experience, the authors address different aspects of the illicit traffic in cultural goods, question the relevance of the instruments that exist to combat it, and raise issues for future consideration.

http://artdaily.com/news/83671/Two-new-International-Council-of-Museums-tools-to-fight-illicit-traffic-in-cultural-goods#.VnGON7_j1-4

United States government returns dinosaur fossil, ancient artifacts to China

HSI Cleveland and HSI New York worked jointly to investigate Eric Prokopi, of Florida, who later pleaded guilty to engaging in scheme to illegally import dinosaur fossils.

WASHINGTON (AFP).- The United States returned a dinosaur fossil to China Thursday believed to be about 120 million years old, as well as a trove of ancient cultural artifacts, US customs officials said. "It's a great pleasure to welcome home these 22 Chinese artifacts and one fossil given back by the United States. These treasures are symbols of ancient China civilization and of mother nature," Ambassador Cui Tiankai told a ceremony at the Chinese embassy. The microraptor fossil was falsely manifested as a "craft rock" and later as a "fossil replica" to conceal its true contents when it was illegally imported to the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said. Among the artifacts ICE returned to the Chinese government were jade disks, bronze trays and other items dating back as far as 1600 BCE.

The fossil and treasures were seized in investigations that saw two people in the United States convicted and fined. Since 2007, US authorities have repatriated more than 8,000 items to more than 30 countries. "In returning these items today, ICE rights a great wrong for the people of China," said ICE deputy director Daniel Ragsdale. "Fossils and treasures like these will always be targeted by bad actors, but we continue to investigate these crimes and repatriate them to their rightful owners."

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse
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Germany, Italy and France urge action against Islamic State antiquities dealing

ISIS Funds Terror Through Black Market Antiquities Trade. Photo via Xinhua/ZUMAPRESS

BERLIN (AFP).- Germany, Italy and France called Tuesday for the European Union to crack down on the illegal trade in antiquities used to bankroll attacks by the Islamic State group. The culture ministers of the three countries wrote in a letter to the European Commission urging concerted measures against the illicit trade in cultural treasures for the benefit of the jihadist group. "By taking part directly or indirectly in the trade in cultural artifacts from archaeological digs, museums and libraries finance their (IS's) atrocities in the region and in Europe," Monika Gruetters, Dario Franceschini and Fleur Pellerin wrote. They said they had agreed at a meeting of EU culture ministers on November 24, in the wake of last month's deadly IS assault in Paris, that it was "high time for Europe... to take more effective action against these attacks on our cultural heritage and the trade in cultural assets".

Among steps the ministers called for were uniform EU import and export rules, more reliable certification of traded antiquities and expedited means to return plundered goods to their countries of origin. In territory it controls in Iraq and Syria, IS finances itself through means including oil smuggling, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and selling looted antiquities. The United States and Russia said last week that they were drafting UN resolutions aimed at ramping up global efforts to choke off IS's sources of financing. The proposed new Security Council measures would build on a resolution adopted in February that sought to cut off millions of dollars in earnings from IS smuggling of oil and antiquities.

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Stolen Dutch 17th-century art found in Ukraine 'risks being sold illegally': Westfries Museum

The 24 paintings by Jan Linsen, Jan van Goyen, Jacob Waben and other Dutch artists were taken when robbers broke into the Westfries Museum in the northwestern city of Hoorn in early 2005.

THE HAGUE (AFP).- Two dozen 17th-century Dutch paintings stolen a decade ago have resurfaced in Ukraine, a Dutch museum revealed Monday, warning that the works were in danger of being sold on the black market after its own efforts to retrieve them failed. The 24 paintings by Jan Linsen, Jan van Goyen, Jacob Waben and other Dutch artists were taken when robbers broke into the Westfries Museum in the northwestern city of Hoorn in early 2005. The robbers also stole 70 pieces of silverware before disappearing without a trace, the museum said in a statement.

Five months ago, two men claiming to be from the ultra-nationalist Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists militia entered the Dutch embassy in Kiev claiming to have stumbled upon the complete collection of paintings. There was no mention of the silverware. They said they had found the art in a villa in war-torn eastern Ukraine, where Kiev's forces are battling pro-Russian separatists. As proof, the men showed a picture of one of the paintings alongside a recent Ukrainian newspaper edition, the Westfries Museum said. "The men said they wanted to give back the paintings" but did not want Ukrainian authorities involved, according to the museum.

The Dutch government decided to give the city of Hoorn a chance to negotiate their return and employed an art historian who specialises in tracing stolen works to act as an intermediary. But after meeting with the militia members, the expert, Arthur Brand, said "it was clear their estimate of the art was totally unrealistic," according to the museum. "They wanted 50 million euros." While the paintings were valued at 10 million euros when they were stolen, Brand said that judging by the state of one of the paintings, the collection was now worth 500,000 euros at most. The militia members then claimed a "finders' fee" of five million euros "and not a cent less," after which negotiations reached a dead end.

'Paintings should be returned' Fears that the works would next turn up on the stolen art circuit prompted the museum to go public with the saga. "The reason for our revelation is that there are very strong indications the paintings are now being offered for sale to other parties," Westfries Museum director Ad Geerdink told a press conference. "Some may even already have been sold." The museum said it hoped potential buyers would be warned as well as aware of the artworks' real value. The museum however said the paintings are "priceless to us, as they tell the story about a fascinating time in West Friesland during the Golden Age." Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Bert Koenders said he had contacted Ukrainian officials at the "highest level" to get the paintings back. "It's a bad situation and if the paintings are over there they should be returned as soon as possible," Koenders told the NOS public broadcaster.

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse