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From Benin to Bührle: Provenance Research in Switzerland and Shared Cultures of Remembrance
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:07:47
Abstract
This block seminar examines current and historical debates in provenance research, with a particular focus on collections shaped by colonial contexts and by Nazi persecution. Using Swiss case studies as a point of departure, the seminar explores how questions of provenance, restitution, and remembrance emerge in museums and scientific institutions.
Objective
Students will gain an insight on current debates on the provenance of different Swiss collections and understand the history of these debates as well as the collections. They will learn to critically assess contemporary as well as historical debates surrounding museum practices and cultures of remembrance, identifying points of convergence and divergence.
Content
When the Kunsthaus Zürich opened its new extension in 2021, featuring over two hundred works of international renown from the Bührle Collection, it was met with widespread criticism. Many of the exhibited works were shown to have contentious provenances and unresolved restitution claims as they were acquired during World War II, making them potentially looted art. Moreover, the collection was at least partially funded through profits derived from selling weapons to Nazi Germany and the exploitation of forced labour. The Bührle Collection, however, is far from an isolated case. When the Kunstmuseum Bern became the sole testamentary heir to the Gurlitt bequest in 2014, it was likewise confronted with questions of provenance. Several art works were acquired by Gurlitt during National Socialist rule after being looted from Jewish individuals. At the same time, debates surrounding the problematic provenances of ethnographic collections from colonial contexts have gained renewed momentum over the past decade. Discussions have most prominently centered on the Benin Bronzes, politically and aesthetically significant works from the Kingdom of Benin that were looted during a British colonial military attack in 1897. Consequently, the Swiss Benin Initiative was founded by a consortium of eight museums to investigate the provenance of their holdings from Benin. Parallel to these debates, though less publicly visible, increasing attention has turned to natural history collections, including botanical, zoological, geological, and anthropological holdings. Many such specimens were collected in colonial contexts that shaped not only their acquisition but also their scientific interpretation. Human ancestral remains and biological specimens in Swiss institutions, for example, are now being critically reassessed in light of their origins, raising questions about consent, ownership, and the ethical responsibilities of scientific institutions. These discussions are not new. In the 1970s, questions of provenance and restitution were intensely debated in European museums, shaped in important ways by voices from outside Europe. Although attention faded for a time, it has resurfaced in recent years, revealing that debates around provenance unfold in cycles. At the same time, provenance research relating to colonial collections, natural history collections, and collections linked to Nazi persecution are often treated as separate or even competing fields. Yet at their intersection lie shared and fundamental questions of memory, commemoration, preservation, ownership, systematic injustice, and shared heritage. In this block seminar, we approach these issues from both historiographical and epistemological perspectives, explicitly integrating art, ethnography, natural history, and the history of science. Each day will be structured around joint visits to relevant museum and scientific collections, focusing on Swiss case studies while situating them within broader transnational debates. Students will examine how knowledge – whether artistic, cultural, or scientific – is produced, framed, and contested through collections and provenance research. Thereby, the course offers students an opportunity to critically engage with the historical and ethical dimensions of scientific practice, demonstrating how specimens, datasets, and classification systems are shaped by their contexts of collection and interpretation.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS , MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 20
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar |
From Benin to Bührle: Provenance Research in Switzerland and Shared Cultures of Remembrance
Die Veranstaltung ist als Blockseminar (1 Halbtag, 4 volle Tage) geplant. Bitte Termine im Vorlesungsverzeichnis beachten.
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No time listed | 28 h semesterly |
Offered In
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Science in Perspective (In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (SiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments.)
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