Groundwork for the musical instrument collection

With its first provenance research project – an investigation into 34 items from the musical instrument collection – the HMB took on a pioneering role in Switzerland.

From the collection comprising over 3,300 instruments, the focus was placed on the group of string and keyboard instruments. The selected instruments were examined for provenance, changes of ownership and possible links to confiscation resulting from Nazi persecution.

An old Italian violin provided the impetus to make the collection of historical musical instruments the focus of the first project. Over a period of 16 months, a so-called baseline check was carried out on 34 string and keyboard instruments.

Based on the evidence uncovered during this process, in-depth research was conducted on 23 instruments. To conclude the project, the HMB organised a highly acclaimed international conference. The findings were of great significance for the establishment of this still-emerging field of research at the HMB.

• Duration: July 2023 – October 2024
• Participants: Renato Moser, Isabel Münzner, Patrick Moser, conservators and restorers, external experts
• Objective: To develop a framework for provenance research on musical instruments
• Funding: Federal Office of Culture, project grants for provenance research for museums and third-party collections / Canton of Basel-Stadt, framework expenditure authorisation for active provenance research in the cantonal museums of Basel-Stadt for the years 2023 to 2026/29

Mit der Konferenz «Provenienzforschung an Musikinstrumenten» am 17. und 18. Oktober fand das vom Bundesamt für Kultur und dem Kanton Basel-Stadt unterstützte Forschungsprojekt nach 18 Monaten Laufzeit im Musikmuseum seinen Abschluss und Höhepunkt zugleich. In 16 spannenden Beiträgen wurden aktuelle Projekte, neue Forschungsansätze und Herausforderungen bei der Arbeit mit Musikinstrumenten vorgestellt. Die Pausen nutzten Referent:innen und Zuhörer:innen zum regen Austausch. Zu den Höhepunkten zählte die Concert-Lecture, eine einzigartige Gelegenheit den wunderbaren Tönen der 2022 dem Museum geschenkten Gagliano-Geige zu lauschen. Der Saal im Musikmuseum war an beiden Tagen bis auf den letzten Platz besetzt und das Angebot, die Konferenz via Live-Stream zu verfolgen, stiess auch international auf grosses Interesse.

Made possible by the Federal Office of Culture and the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the Historisches Museum Basel investigated the provenance of a total of 34 string and keyboard instruments from its collection between July 2023 and October 2024. The aim of the project was to examine selected musical instruments for any possible connection to confiscation resulting from Nazi persecution.

The project was carried out in four stages: screening, basic checks (on all 34 objects), in-depth research (on 23 instruments), and dissemination and documentation. To mark the conclusion of the project, an international conference on provenance research into musical instruments was held at the Music Museum in October 2024.

There is no evidence of any context of injustice in relation to any of the objects examined. However, it was not possible to reconstruct a fully verifiable, unbroken chain of provenance for the period under investigation. Changes of ownership can often be surmised, but in the vast majority of cases no clear evidence remains today – or none has yet been found through research.

> Final report (PDF)

> Object reports (PDF)