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Germany set to return WWII-looted royal ring to Poland

28.04.2026 13:00
Germany is prepared to return a ring belonging to Polish King Sigismund I the Old, looted during World War II and discovered at a jewelry museum in the town of Pforzheim, the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita reported Tuesday.
The royal casket of Izabela Czartoryska.
The royal casket of Izabela Czartoryska.Photo: Jannasch/CC0

The ring, which came from the royal casket of Izabela Czartoryska, is expected to be handed back to Poland by mid-year, the paper said. Germany's Federal Foreign Office is handling the matter.

German museum officials acknowledge the object's legal status is complex, as German civil law provides no basis for restitution claims. However, German states have pledged an unconditional return of looted artworks that became public property.

"This commitment is not legally binding, but carries significant moral and cultural-political weight", German authors of a position paper on the ring were quoted as saying by Rzeczpospolita.

The restitution is part of a broader effort to recover Polish cultural treasures lost during the war. Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska said her ministry is currently handling 224 such cases across 22 countries.

Since 2008, Poland has recovered 899 objects from 14 countries, including 101 returned in 2025 and 16 so far this year.

(jh)

Source: PAP