History for the Taking

In our final episode, we discuss art looted during the Holocaust, the efforts of Jewish Americans to reclaim this art, and the challenges posed by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Individuals attempting to reclaim this art using American or foreign courts often face immense difficulties. Claremont McKenna College professor Jonathan Petropoulos discusses several of these cases and their diverse outcomes. We pay particular attention to Republic of Austria v. Altmann, Hungary v. Simon, and Germany v. Philipp. Additionally, we discuss the nuanced issues surrounding the balance between international cooperation and sovereign independence. We conclude the series by returning to the broad issues of justice, legality, and ethical considerations in the complex field of art repatriation and reclamation.

In today's episode of History for the Taking, we're covering the presence of looted antiquities displayed in museums, and the actions "source" governments have taken in order to recover looted artifacts. First, we provide a brief on the Getty Villa scandal that broke in the early 2000s and the subsequent legal action Italy took against Marion True, an American curator at the Getty. Then, we speak to Jason Felch, one of the investigative reporters who uncovered the Getty scandal in his book Chasing Aphrodite about post-WWII looting, and legal efforts by national governments in order to recover looted artifacts. 

In our second episode of "History for the Taking," we go over multiple instances where civil unrest, terrorism, and wars posed risks to artifacts in their native countries. We include case studies like the Monuments Men in WWII, the blowing up of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in 2001, and the destruction of the ancient city of Palmyra by ISIS militants. After that, we interview Dr. James Cuno, President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, about the Getty's work in preserving and restoring damaged artifacts in Palmyra. 

In our first episode of "History for the Taking," we unpack the history of the marbles that formerly adorned the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. We begin by examining the artist who sculpted the marbles and why the Parthenon was so important to the ancient Athenians. Then, we fast forward to the 19th century, examining how the British government ended up with parts of the marbles in the first place. After that, we fast forward to the present day and explain how Greek nationalism contributed to Greek demands for the marbles' repatriation. We hope to not only explain the international politics behind artifact repatriation but also have ethical discussions as well. Who should possess an artifact? What is, and what should be, the role of international law and international bodies like UNESCO in artifact repatriation? And in legal proceedings over artifact repatriation, can justice ever be achieved?