A German museum has been forced to cancel a Dead Sea scrolls exhibition — in case Palestinians try to lay claim to the manuscripts.
The Frankfurt Bible Museum was intending to display sections of the scrolls, due to be flown in from Israel. But plans have been scrapped after the museum could not secure the necessary guarantees from the German authorities to ensure that Israel would get the scrolls back.
Martin Pielstocker, who was due to curate the exhibition, told the Jewish Chronicle: “It had to be cancelled due to political problems with the German government.”
He said: “To realise such an exhibition the Israeli government asks for an immunity guarantee to ensure items come back but this has not been issued.”
The guarantee would have meant that Germany would have dismissed any claims by Palestinian activists that the scrolls, part of the Israeli state collection, are Palestinian-owned. But the German authorities were not prepared to issue the guarantee.
Boris Rhein, the culture minister from the state of Hesse, was quoted by German news agencies saying that Germany’s Foreign Ministry and federal commissioner for cultural affairs believe that the ownership of the Dead Sea Scrolls is unclear.
Frankfurt’s director of cultural affairs, Ina Hartwig, said the cancellation was an “emotional disappointment” and lost opportunity.
A segment of the scrolls was displayed in Berlin’s Martin Gropius-Bau Museum in 2005 as part of an exhibit honoring 40 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and the Jewish state.
Frankfurt’s director of cultural affairs, Ina Hartwig, said the cancellation was an “emotional disappointment” and lost opportunity.
A segment of the scrolls was displayed in Berlin’s Martin Gropius-Bau Museum in 2005 as part of an exhibit honoring 40 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and the Jewish state.
Source: Jewish Chronicle / Jewish News
