Vom Kunstschützer zum Kulturdiplomaten – Gerhard Bersu in den Jahren 1914 bis 1927

Abstract

In the summer of 1916, the war volunteer Gerhard Bersu took over the art and administration department at the head of administration of the „Imperial General Government„ of Germany in occupied Belgium. His cultural policy tasks included looking after the Belgian art monuments, museums and archaeological sites. Together with Wilhelm Unverzagt, he excavated and inventoried the archaeological heritage in the occupied areas of the Western Front. After the armistice in November 1918, Bersu was involved in the repatriation of cultural property to the formerly occupied territories. After the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, he was commissioned by the German Foreign Office to handle the reparation and compensation clauses contained therein. Patriotism, but also the desire to restore international research networks, guided his actions.