DRESDEN.- In a quiet but powerful act of historical reckoning, several small museums across Saxony have been combing through their collections to uncover traces of Nazi-looted art. The results, released after more than a year of research, reveal that two of six museums examined hold objects with direct ties to persecution during the Nazi era.

A Statewide Effort to Confront the Past

Since late 2023, non-state museums in Saxony have been participating in so-called “initial checks” — detailed provenance investigations funded entirely by the German Lost Art Foundation in Magdeburg. These projects bring in outside experts to sift through inventories, acquisition records, and historical archives dating back to 1933.

The goal is to answer difficult questions: where did these objects come from, and who might have lost them under the Nazi regime?

The Dresden State Art Collections (SKD) has partnered with six local museums for this initiative, offering guidance and expertise in identifying art and artifacts seized from Jewish families and others persecuted by the Nazi state.

From Manuscripts to a Store Sign: The Objects Tell Their Stories

The research uncovered some sobering finds.

At Burg Mylau Museum, experts identified two fragments of Hebrew writings, believed to have been looted from Jewish communities in Eastern Europe during World War II. At least one piece was delivered to the museum in 1943 by a Wehrmacht soldier. The fragments will now undergo deeper research and be entered into the national Lost Art Database.

In Werdau’s City and Steam Engine Museum, researchers found a poignant relic: the metal sign from the Ringer family’s department store. The Jewish-owned business, located on the town’s market square, was destroyed during the Kristallnacht pogrom of November 1938. Soon after, members of the family were deported and murdered. The sign, one of the last surviving physical traces of the family, was donated to the museum in 1966.

“This sign speaks volumes,” said historian Jens Kunze, who has been researching the Ringer family’s story. “It’s not just an object — it’s a witness to a life and a community erased by violence.”

Local History, Global Principles

The city of Werdau has made contact with descendants of the Ringer family and is working toward a “just and fair solution” under the Washington Principles, the international framework for returning Nazi-looted art.

The Ringer store sign and other research findings were displayed earlier this year in the exhibition “80 Years Ago: End of the War in Werdau and Surroundings.”

On August 13, 2025, the city will install a Stolperstein, or “stumbling stone,” outside the family’s former store to honor their memory. Family members are expected to attend the ceremony.

More Than a History Lesson

This case will also be included in a new educational project, “Art, Looting, Restitution – Forgotten Life Stories,” organized by the SKD and Berlin State Museums. Funded by third-party grants, the program aims to fight antisemitism by telling these stories in both urban and rural communities across Saxony.

By uncovering the truth behind a few objects on their shelves, these small museums have opened a window into the lives of people who suffered unimaginable loss — and offered a chance, however late, for remembrance and repair.