The French Senate has definitively adopted a law on the restitution of cultural property looted during the colonial period, marking a major legislative step in France's approach to colonial-era artifacts. The law establishes a legal framework for returning objects held in French public collections to their countries of origin, potentially affecting thousands of items in museums across the country.
South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced a monthlong celebration called "2026 Museum Week," running from late April to May 31, 2026, to coincide with International Museum Day on May 18. A total of 310 museums will participate under the theme "Museums uniting a divided world," with programs divided into three sections: Museum X Encounter (highlighting stories behind artifacts), Museum X Enjoy (special exhibitions and performances), and Museum X Stroll (expanding cultural access beyond Seoul). The event is hosted by the ministry and ICOM Korea, organized by the Korean Museum Association.
The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is introducing a legislative bill to ban the commercial trade of personal Holocaust documents and artifacts, such as letters from concentration camps, Gestapo cards, and yellow stars. The initiative follows international outrage over a planned auction in Neuss in November 2025, which was halted at the last moment; around 460 objects from that auction were transferred to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. The bill, to be presented at the Bundesrat session on May 8, aims to prohibit the sale of items directly linked to Nazi victims, while exempting museums, archives, and research institutions.