Habsburg Jewels: "Florentine Commission" Convened

Minister of Culture and Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler (SPÖ) has established a commission under the chairmanship of the President of the Financial Procuratorate, Wolfgang Peschorn, to examine legal questions concerning the Habsburg jewels stored in a safe deposit box in Canada. The body, named the "Florentine Commission" after the Florentine Diamond, convened for the first time on Thursday. Results are expected in the fall of 2026, it was announced in a press release on Friday.

Habsburg-Lorraine: Private Family Property

The jewelry pieces were originally located in the treasury of the Hofburg and were removed and taken abroad in 1918 on the orders of Emperor Karl. It was only through interviews with Karl Habsburg-Lorraine in November 2025 that their exact whereabouts became known to the public. It is now to be clarified whether the Republic of Austria has a claim to the objects, which according to Habsburg-Lorraine are private family property of the Habsburgs, and whether this claim by the Republic has a chance of being enforceable. "I am convinced that the relevant expertise now gathered in this commission will bring about this clarification," Babler explains.

"Florentine Commission" with Pia Schölnberger

Peschorn's deputy in the eight-member expert panel with extensive legal-historical and historical knowledge is Pia Schölnberger. She heads the Commission for Provenance Research, which has been tasked with "reconstructing the provenance and dislocation history of the objects."

(APA/Red)

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