Kulturgüterrelevante Verhaltenskodizes

Codes of conduct, such as those for museums and art dealers, contain rules for handling cultural property. Thus, they influence the day-to-day business in the field of cultural heritage. Although they are mostly established by private institutions, they also have an impact on the legal system, especially on due diligence guidelines when trading cultural property, and on restitution claims. This study examines the interrelation of codes of conduct in cultural heritage law and the legal system. First, it presents the historical development of international and German codes and identifies currently existing ones. This allows their systematic analysis, including their categorisation with respect to cultural heritage law. Finally, the study demonstrates their legal importance for the parties concerned, as well as their indirect legal effects.