What constitutes rightful ownership of cultural objects? The unprecedented looting of modern wars as well as various protest movements have spawned international regulations, declarations, and efforts that offer guidance in this regard. The extant framework, however, falls short of exhausting the ethical problems raised by artifacts, their histories, and their displays. For museum and university collections these questions have gained the greatest urgency. Our panel offers reflections on this vast terrain; three case studies will follow an opening contribution by one of the foremost experts on restitution, repatriation, and cultural heritage law.

Note: This event counts toward Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship (RCRS) training requirements for graduate students in History and possibly other disciplines.

Panelists:
Patty Gerstenblith, Distinguished Research Professor of Law, DePaul University
Raymond Silverman, Professor, History of Art, Afroamerican and African Studies, University of Michigan
Terry G. Wilfong, Director / Curator of Graeco-Roman Egyptian Collections, Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan
Yao-Fen You, Associate Curator, European Sculpture and Decorative ArtsDetroit Institute of Arts
Helmut Puff (chair), Elizabeth L. Eisenstein Collegiate Professor of History and Germanic Languages, University of Michigan

Free and open to the public. Lunch provided.

This event is part of the Friday Series of the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies. It is made possible by a generous contribution from Kenneth and Frances Aftel Eisenberg.