Germany Returns Unique 19th- and 20th-Century Publications to Ukraine
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has transferred eight printed publications, published between 1830 and 1906 in Berlin, Leipzig, Stuttgart and Munich, to the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.
The Gaze writes about it, referring to the press service of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.
It is noted that the books were voluntarily returned to the Ukrainian Embassy in Germany by German citizen Barbara Breizach. These valuable copies were taken from Ukraine by her father during the German occupation. The title page of each book bears a library stamp indicating the institution where the publication was stored, or the seal of the book's owner.
"Rare academic publications from 1830-1906 have returned to Kyiv after 80 years. Each of them is not only a valuable folio, but also evidence that at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, Ukraine had a high level of university education and academic science. We are sincerely grateful to Ms Barbara Breizach for this noble gesture, as well as to Ukrainian diplomats for facilitating the return of these treasures. Today's event is living proof of Ukraine's active participation in international agreements on the return of cultural property and combating the illegal removal of heritage. Other valuable artefacts will also return to the country in the near future," emphasised Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Serhiy Belyaev.
He also noted that the German-language editions were previously stored in the libraries of St. Vladimir's University, the Kyiv Music and Drama Conservatory, as well as in the private collections of the well-known Kyiv publisher Leon Idzikovsky and Professor Julian Kulakovsky.
The Ukrainian ministry will transfer the publications to state library funds, in particular the Yaroslav the Wise National Library of Ukraine, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine.
The ministry emphasises that the returned books are of great artistic, historical and scientific importance. They will be made available to researchers, scholars and the general public, and may also be used in exhibition and research projects.