The city of Zurich has filed a formal complaint against a recent statutory change by the Bührle Foundation that could allow the controversial art collection to leave the city. The foundation modified its charter in October, removing the requirement to display its valuable artworks in Zurich, effectively threatening to relocate the collection from the Kunsthaus Zurich.
The statutory amendment was approved by the Canton of Zurich's Foundation and Trust Supervision Authority (BVS), a decision that surprised city officials. Zurich authorities announced they would challenge the ruling in administrative court to protect the interests of both the city and its residents. The city considers itself a beneficiary of the foundation and believes it has a duty to ensure the collection remains accessible to the public in Zurich.
City officials emphasized the substantial financial investment made in the Chipperfield building at the Kunsthaus Zurich specifically to house the Bührle collection on permanent loan. The modern extension was constructed with significant public funding to accommodate these artworks, making the potential departure of the collection particularly concerning for municipal authorities.
The Bührle Foundation justified its charter modification by citing the ongoing controversy surrounding the art collection's origins. In a letter from the foundation's attorney, officials described the "enormous negative financial, personnel, and reputational impacts" on both the foundation and the Zurich Kunsthaus. The foundation questioned whether continuing to display the collection in Zurich remains "possible, appropriate, and defensible" under current circumstances.
The collection has been at the center of heated debates for years due to concerns that some artworks may be Nazi-looted art from World War II. Currently, experts are conducting renewed investigations into the provenance of several pieces to determine their wartime history. This ongoing scrutiny has created significant pressure on the foundation and the museum housing the collection.
Under the existing contract between the Kunsthaus and the Bührle Foundation, the collection is scheduled to remain in Zurich until the end of 2034. However, the recent statutory changes would allow the foundation to relocate the artworks elsewhere after the contract expires. The collection is currently closed to the public while provenance research continues, with plans to reopen a substantial portion of the works to visitors starting March 20, 2026.
The Bührle collection represents one of the world's most significant private collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, including works by renowned artists such as Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. The collection was assembled by industrialist Emil Georg Bührle, whose business dealings during World War II have also come under scrutiny. The controversy has intensified in recent years as researchers and advocacy groups have pressed for more thorough investigation of the artworks' wartime history.
Zurich's legal challenge reflects the high stakes involved in potentially losing such a prestigious cultural asset. The city's investment in museum infrastructure and the collection's role in establishing Zurich as a major cultural destination make the threatened departure a significant concern for local officials and the tourism industry. The outcome of the administrative court proceedings could determine whether one of Switzerland's most important art collections remains in its current home or seeks a new location elsewhere.
