Law
OUR PROJECTS
For legal proceedings and litigation, Facts & Files researches historical background information or documents and provides expert reports on various historical issues and questions. Historical research builds the basis for claims on restitution and indemnification of property. Our projects are commissioned by private clients, institutions and organizations. Provenance research on art and other cultural objects is an important part of this subject area. Facts & Files conducts research on the origins, ownership, and whereabouts of obejcts and collections. Facts & Files has developed databases to document information on archival records to be used for litigations and compensation proceedings.
Facts & Files was commissioned by the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC) to research information on life insurance policies purchased by European Jews before WWII. The project started in 2000 and was finished in 2003.
In 2008, Facts & Files was commissioned by the Federal Office for Central Services and Unresolved Property Issues (BADV) to conduct provenance research on 181 water colours, drawings, sculptures, and paintings.
Facts & Files was commissioned by the foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” to produce expert reports on Jewish forced labor during the time of National Socialism in various European and North African states, such as Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
Provenance Research
Since 2002, Facts & Files has been conducting research on the art collection of the Berlin factory owner Richard Semmel, who collected Old Dutch masters as well as works by French artists, mostly impressionists paintings.
Herbert Max Magnus Gutmann (1879-1942) was born in Dresden, Germany. In 1872 his father Eugen was one of the founders of the Dresdner Bank. Herbert was a member of the board of managers of the Dresdner Bank AG and head of the board of the Deutsche Orientbank AG. After the Nazis came to power in Germany on January 30, 1933, Herbert M. Gutmann and his family were persecuted.
The Hagen Family owned the banking house Hagen & Co. in Berlin, Germany. When the Anti-Jewish laws were enacted the bank house was forced into liquidation by January 1, 1938. The family was forced to sell property, including paintings, books, and other works of art.
Commissioned by the Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation, Facts & Files conducted research in German archives regarding Swiss bank accounts and bank deposit facilities of Jewish people who suffered Nazi persecution.