About Provenance Research on the Period 1933-1945

It asks: Who owned the object? What happened to it? How was it passed from person to person? And where was it from 1933 to 1945? This period is a special area of focus at the Rijksmuseum, because we want to find out whether objects in the collection were expropriated as part of the Holocaust, whether before or during the Second World War. Provenance research uncovers hidden stories and offers insights into their historical contexts. An object’s past may harbour stories relating to collecting, persecution, migration and resistance. Provenance research often sheds light on a previously hidden context and the role of an object in that context. It helps us better understand the broader social significance and histories of objects in the museum collection.