The Art Database of the National Fund

Content of the Art Database

The Art Database contains a catalogue which categorises several thousand art and cultural objects, which are kept in museums and collections of the Republic of Austria or in the City of Vienna. According to the results of provenance research, some of these were confiscated during the National Socialism period. The provenance of many other objects remains doubtful and has still to be determined; this is the aim of publishing them on the internet.

Here will be found for any object a description of its nature, size, and provenance as well as information on the current state of possible pending restitution proceedings. These data are constantly transmitted to the National Fund from the museums concerned, the Viennese Commission for Restitution, the Federal Provenance Commission, and the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport. This co-operation enables the regular updating and supplementing of the Art Database in order to take into account the latest state of provenance research.

Search for art objects

The Art Database can be searched for specific objects and by genres of art (i.e. categories).

You think that you have recognized an object - what next?

If you recognize art objects in the Art Database or if you are able to provide information on their provenance, please contact the museum concerned directly, or the Federal Commission for Provenance Research. The name of the museum responsible is to be found in the description of the object. Queries on a specific object can be sent directly from the detailed view of it opened on the screen.

We inform you that sending off a query form automatically transmits a copy to the National Fund too.

The precise contact addresses can be found under links.

Please note that the data published in the Art Database partly represent preliminary results of provenance research in Austria. For this reason alone, no legal title of restitution of the objects can be drawn from the information in the Art database.

Translated by Dr.in Hildegard Wiegel, M.A., M.St., edited by National Fund