WEB RESOURCES ON CULTURAL PROPERTY, ANTIQUITIES LAWS, AND RELATED SUBJECTS

 

 

1) UNESCO Cultural Heritage Laws Database:

 

This is a database of resources drawn from many countries and is the easiest route to discover for a given country what laws apply:

 

http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=33928&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

 

 

2) UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970):

 

This is the fundamental document referred to in literature on cultural property, implemented in different fashions in various countries:

 

http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13039&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

 

 

3) UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects:

 

http://www.unidroit.org/english/conventions/1995culturalproperty/main.htm

 

 

4) Egyptian law 117 of 1983 (English translation):

 

unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0006/000666/066629eo.pdf

 

 

5) US Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act:

 

http://exchanges.state.gov/culprop/97-446.html

 

 

6) US Code, Title 18, Section 2314 (National Stolen Property Act):

 

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/casecode/uscodes/18/parts/i/chapters/113/sections/section_2314.html

 

 

7) UK Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003:

 

(attached: dca.pdf)

 

 

8) Interpol stolen works of art FAQ:

 

http://www.interpol.int/Public/WorkOfArt/woafaq.asp

 

 

9) American Society of Papyrologists Resolution (adopted June, 2007):

 

http://www.papyrology.org

 

 

10) The laws for various Middle Eastern/North African nations have now been posted at:

 

http://tebtunis.berkeley.edu/laws/

 

 

11) Laws of European countries:

 

Austria

 

- 1999, Bundesgesetzblatt fŸr die Republik …sterreich (German):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/austria/austria_loi19_08_1999_ger_orof.pdf

 

Belgium

 

- 1999, DŽcret relatif ˆ la conservation et ˆ la protection du patrimoine. Livre III - Disposition relatives au patrimoine:

Titre 1er - GŽnŽralitŽs: http://www.skene.be/RW/Loi/LOI0106.html - Anchor-47857

Titre II - De la protection, de la prŽvention, de la restauration: http://www.skene.be/RW/Loi/LOI0107.html

Titre III - Du petit patrimoine populaire: http://www.skene.be/RW/Loi/LOI0108.html

Titre IV - De lÕarchŽologie: http://www.skene.be/RW/Loi/LOI0109.html

 

- 2003, Monuments, Sites et Patrimoine archŽologique (French):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/belgium/belg_lois_monuments_fretof.pdf

 

Denmark

 

- 2001, Museum Act N. 473 (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/denmark/denm_museum_act_473_engtof.pdf

 

- 2001, Act N. 480 on listing buidlings and preservation of buildings and town environments (Danish):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/denmark/denm_law_480_danorof.pdf

 

Finland

 

- 1999, Act on adopting certain regulations of the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 875/ 1999 (inter alia; English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/finland/fi_actconventionillicitrsfer1999_engtof.pdf

 

-1999, Decree on Restrictions to the Export of Cultural Objects 189/ 1999 (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/finland/fi_decreerestrictexport1999_engtof.pdf

 

- 1999, Act on Restrictions to the Export of Cultural Objects 115/1999 (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/finland/fi_actrestrictexport1999_engtno.pdf

 

France

 

- 1997, Decree n¼97-286, 25 March 1997, related to the Restitution of Cultural Property that have illicitly left the territory of an European Community State member (French):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/france/fr_decree97286_freorof.pdf

 

- 1997, Decree n¼97-435, 25 April 1997, on the convention concerning measures to be taken in order to prohibit illegal importation and exportation and illicit traffic of cultural properties (French):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/france/fr_decret_97_435_freorof.pdf

 

- general information and links to more regulations:

http://www.archeodroit.net/html/jdc_regl.html

 

Germany

 

- general information:

http://www.european-heritage.net/sdx/herein/national_heritage/voir.xsp?id=intro_DE_en

 

- other: ÒGerman Laws governing Cultural Heritage ProtectionÓ, List of Documents issued by the German National Committee for Monument Protection, Volume 54, 3. Edition, Bonn 1997, ISSN 0723-5747

 

Greece

 

- 2002, On the Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in General (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/greece/gre_law_3028_engtof.pdf

 

Ireland

 

- 1994, National Monuments (Amendment) Act (English; includes artefacts):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/ireland/ie_natmontsamdment1994_engorof.pdf

 

Italy

 

- 2004, Legistlative Decree no. 42 of 22 January 2004 - Code of the Cultural and Landscape Heritage (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/italy/it_cult_landscapeheritge2004_engtof.pdf

 

Luxembourg

 

- 2004, Concernant lÕAmŽnagement Communal et le DŽveloppement Urbain (French):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/luxembourg/lu_loi_amenagementcommunal_developpementurbain_2004_freorof.pdf

 

Netherlands

 

- 1985, Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/netherlands/netherlands_loi49_amended_01_02_1984_eng_tno.pdf

 

- 1988, Monuments and Historic Buildings Act (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/netherlands/netherlands_loi638_23_12_1988_eng_tof.pdf

 

Norway

 

- 2002, Regulations on the Return of Stolen and Unlawfully Exported Cultural Objects (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/norway/norway_stolen_cultural_objects_2002_engtof.pdf

 

- 2007, Regulations on the Export and Import of Cultural Objects (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/norway/norway_exportimport_culturalobjects_2007_engtof.pdf

 

Poland

 

- 2003, the act of 23 July, 2003 on the protection of monuments and the guardianship of monuments (Journal of Laws No 162, Item 1568 with later additions):

No URL available

 

Portugal

 

- 1997, Decree law N. 164/97 on Underwater Archaeological Activity (Portuguese):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/portugal/portugal_decree_law_16497_underwater_archaeological_activity_pororof.pdf

 

- 1999, Decree law N. 270/99 on Archeological Works (Portuguese):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/portugal/portugal_decree_law_16497_underwater_archaeological_activity_pororof.pdf

 

- 2001, Law 107/01 on Cultural Heritage (Portuguese):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/portugal/portugal_law_1072001_law_cultural_heritage_pororof.pdf

 

- 2006, Decree 19/2006 on classification of goods of national interest (Portuguese):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/portugal/portugal_decree_192006_classification_goods_national_interest_pororof.pdf

 

Spain

 

- 1985, on the Spanish Historical Heritage (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/spain/spa_law_16_1985_engtof.pdf

 

- 1991, ROYAL DECREE implementing the ninth additional provision of Law 16/1985, on State guarantee for works of cultural interest (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/spain/spa_royaldecree_1680_1991_engtof.pdf

 

Sweden

 

- 1988, Heritage Conservation Act n¼950 of 1988; (followed by) Regulations on permits for the export from Sweden of certain cultural older goods (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/sweden/se_acthertgeconservregul1988_engtno.pdf

 

Switzerland

 

- 2003, Federal Act on the International Transfer of Cultural Property (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/switzerland/ch_actintaltrsfertcultproties2005_engtno.pdf

 

- 2005, Ordinance on the International Transfer of Cultural Property (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/switzerland/ch_ordnceintaltrsfertcultproties2005_engtno.pdf

 

United Kingdom

 

- 1980, National Heritage Act (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/gb/gb_nationalheritage1980_engorof.pdf

 

- 1994, Return of Cultural Objects Regulations (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/gb/gb_returnculturobjectsregulations1994_engorof.pdf

 

- 1995, Historic Monuments and Archeological Objects Order (Northern Ireland) (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/gb/gb_histmonts&archaeolobjcts1995_engorof.pdf

 

- 2003, Export of Objects of Cultural Interest (Control) Order 2003 (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/gb/gb_exportobjculturalinterest2003_engorof.pdf

 

- 2003, Dealing in Cultural Objects (Offences) Act 2003 (English):

http://www.unesco.org/culture/natlaws/media/pdf/gb/gb_dealingcultobjsoffences2003_engorof.pdf