Gert Jan van den Bergh wrote an article in the latest edition of the German journal Kunst und Recht (Volume 22, Issue 5/2020) in which he expresses his reaction to the the advisory report by the National Policy Framework Colonial Collections Advisory Committee, which was presented to Minister Van Engelshoven in October.
As a result of its colonial past the Netherlands amassed a staggering 270.000 artefacts over a period of several centuries. Until recently the need for restitution was not on the agenda and official policy was to hold off as much as possible. Now, amidst an increasing struggle of museums to address their colonial history, steps are being taken. Gert Jan emphasizes that we must learn from the history and developments regarding the restitution policy for art looted during WOII.
Please find the article here: https://kur.quotus.org/article/KUR/2020/5/2