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HATC SAMPLE EDITION:
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4th August, 2025
Stricter rules for export of artworks proposed
All artworks will need to be presented in person to the cultural heritage protection authority during export licensing procedures, under a draft amendment to the cultural heritage protection law published on the government website kormány.hu.
The change aims to support more thorough, evidence-based decisions, according to its explanatory note.
The amendment appears to be a direct response to the recent Klimt case, HVG observes.
In that case, Austrian artist Gustav Klimt’s long-lost Portrait of an African Prince was taken from Hungary to Austria under questionable circumstances.
The artwork was falsely described in official documents as an anonymous piece worth just Ft 50,000.
It was later displayed publicly by a Vienna gallery and appeared at international art fairs.
Investigations revealed that the applicant submitted misleading photos, omitted the visible “Gustav Klimt Nachlass” estate stamp, and gave false information about the artist, title, and purpose of export.
The Ministry of Construction and Transport, led by János Lázár, had approved the export based on this misinformation.
Following the scandal, the ministry filed a police report and is seeking to classify the painting as protected cultural property.
The draft amendment would prevent similar incidents by tightening the verification process for export permits.
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Sources regularly consulted, with abbreviations used in text: Népszabadság (N); Magyar Hírlap (MH); Világgazdaság (VG); Napi Gazdaság (NG); Magyar Nemzet (MN); Népszava (Nsz); Kossuth Rádió news (KR); nightly TV news (TV).
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