Book Review: Cultural Property - Art Law - Culture Law - Liber Amicorum Kurt Siehr (Kulturgüterschutz – Kunstrecht – Kulturrecht – Festschrift Für Kurt Siehr zu 75: Geburtstag aus dem Kreise des Doktoranden- und Habilitandenseminars ‘Kunst und Recht’), Kerstin Odendahl, Peter Johannes Weber, eds.

Abstract

This volume is a colorful concert in three parts, presented by an orchestra of thirty two players, who also composed the music, to honor their Maestro and founding conductor, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Kurt Siehr, Professor (emeritus) of the University of Zurich, at present at Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, on his 75th birthday.

A Festschrift has to come as a surprise to its recipient, and therefore the Maestro was not there when his orchestra performed. But it performed beautifully and masterfully. The conductor’s hand is invisible, but not so his spirit, as evidenced by the numerous references in all contributions to his initiatives in this field, his contributions to the International Law Association (ILA) Cultural Heritage Law Committee, to his 1992 Hague Academy lectures, to his numerous publications, to statements and observations made during the seminars and on other occasions, and to his insights. The authors have all been inspired and encouraged by their mentor to study a real problem, analyze it critically from every possible angle, compare and evaluate the solutions that have been developed in different legal systems, and then draw conclusions and point out plausible directions for further development.

Keywords: Art Law, law and culture, cultural property, international protection of cultural property, private international law/ conflict of laws

JEL Classification: K19, K33