Event Type: Branch

Takes Place: 18th May 2026

Time: 7.30pm

Venue: University of Gloucestershire, Francis Close Hall Campus; Swindon Rd, Cheltenham, GL50 4AZ and online

Description: The First World War (1914-1918) was marked by widespread cultural destruction, such as the destruction of libraries, churches and cathedrals, as well as the looting of a range of cultural property. This talk will consider what happened in the war’s wake: it explores how instances of looting and cultural destruction in Continental Europe were dealt with in the post-First World War treaties. The paper will analyse the discussions at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, exploring how the post-war peacemakers made decisions about what reparations should be made for cultural damage, as well as how looted objects might be repatriated. The paper concludes with a discussion of how these treaties were put into practice; it explores some of the claims for reparation submitted by civilians and institutions in France and highlights the challenges of returning looted cultural property in the early 1920s.

How to book: Register for Zoom - https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/historical-association-gloucestershire-branch/t-rzzpgod

Price: Free for members and students, £4 for guests

Tel: 01242 574889

Email: histassocglos@gmail.com

Website: https://www.haglos.co.uk

Organiser: Andrea Robertson

Lecturer: Professor Tomas Irish, University of Swansea

Region: West Midlands

Branch: Gloucestershire