Berlin – May 28, 2026: At a grand ceremony held at the French Embassy in Berlin, Germany handed over seven books to the family of the historian and resistance fighter Marc Bloch. These works had been stolen from Bloch’s personal library by the Nazis in 1942. This return was carried out jointly by the public libraries of Berlin, Frankfurt, and Gera and is regarded as an important advancement in historical restitution and cultural exchange between Germany and France.
Born in Lyon in 1886, Marc Bloch was one of the most recognized medievalists of his time and a co-founder of the influential Annales School, profoundly impacting the study of history. During World War II, Bloch actively participated in the French Resistance. In 1944, he was arrested by the Gestapo and soon executed; his wife Simone Vidal passed away shortly thereafter. These books were part of his extensive collection, which included works in French and German.
The return of the books took place weeks ahead of Marc Bloch’s induction into the Panthéon in Paris, scheduled for June 23, 2026. There, his life and contributions to French history and culture will be honored. The returned books will be kept at the Halphen Library of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, specializing in medieval studies.
Germany’s Minister of Culture, Wolfram Weimer, described the return as a “meaningful acknowledgement of historical injustice,” while the French Ambassador to Germany, François Drathier, emphasized that the return carries symbolic significance for the close Franco-German friendship.
This restitution is part of a comprehensive process to return cultural property looted during the Nazi dictatorship in Europe. Historians and librarians from both countries are actively collaborating to locate and restore stolen, looted, or lost works to the rightful owners or their descendants. It is estimated that between 5 and 10 million books were stolen within France alone during the war period.
Marc Bloch’s grandson, Mathis Bloch, expressed deep gratitude for this gift, saying, “This return not only preserves my grandfather’s legacy but is also a powerful signal of reconciliation and cooperation in Europe.” For the family, this restitution represents more than the recovery of books; it is a symbolic act of remembrance and healing from the suffering experienced during the war.
The reunion of these works with the Bloch family underscores the responsibility to confront the past and acknowledge historical injustices, while demonstrating once again the importance of education, science, and culture as bridges between nations. This handover ceremony marks another milestone on the path to jointly preserving and protecting Europe’s cultural heritage.
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