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Zilkens' News Blog 33 2026

It’s really rather daft that it hasn’t rained properly for months! The rivers have reached record low levels, throwing global supply chains into disarray. You suddenly realise just how important river transport is. As a stopgap measure, lorries are now to be allowed back on the motorways at weekends. Actually, that’s the right thing to do! One can only welcome the fact that the federal and state governments are ensuring that production in Germany can continue and that goods reach consumers. In this context, it’s hugely irritating that so-called environmental organisations, such as NABU and the like, are railing against this and would probably prefer to put horse-drawn carts on the roads, on the grounds that manure can be spread on the fields. By now, even the last person should have realised that green radicalism, in emergency situations, is needlessly directed against the population.

Unfortunately, the world is not becoming a more peaceful place: Russia is not stopping its bombing of the civilian population in Ukraine; the US and Iran cannot find a solution; and the behaviour of the equally radical Ayatollahs does not suggest they are interested in a peaceful resolution. At its core, this is probably also about the conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims, and the way it is being waged is strongly reminiscent of the early modern period, when the Thirty Years’ War was also intended to decide which was the ‘correct’ religion in each region. These are always bad times for cultural heritage. Admittedly, there are now a great many international agreements designed to preserve cultural heritage. But when it comes down to it, the warring parties could not care less about what they are destroying or looting – the main thing is that a piece of the opponent’s sense of identity is destroyed.

We are currently learning, within our federal structures, that managing interfaces is a huge challenge when it comes to security and defence. The same applies to the protection of cultural heritage. The federal government, the Länder, local authorities, institutions, foundations, churches, other communities and religions each define for themselves what they regard as cultural heritage. Very few organisations – and here I am thinking primarily of museums or religious cultural institutions – have a specific list of the most important objects for which they are responsible. Even fewer have a plan setting out what needs to be saved, and how, depending on the specific threat scenario. Nor are there any pre-determined storage capacities in place for when cultural heritage is at risk. That would, of course, incur provision costs, which would place a strain on the culture budget – a budget that many politicians, regardless of gender, would like to see reduced. The demands featured on our front page today are all justified. The question is, who will take responsibility for implementing this highly complex set of regulations in a binding manner? Here, too, a change in mindset is required. The risks to cultural heritage do not arise solely during working hours – often they occur on Fridays after work has finished, without any entitlement to public holiday pay. And whilst the insurance industry cannot cover everything, it can certainly provide support with risk management.

Let’s return to the expected heatwave: museums are our salvation, as they are generally air-conditioned and usually open during the day from Tuesday to Sunday. In some cities, admission fees are even being waived in this emergency situation. Energy costs continue to mount up anyway, as they are necessary for the preservation of the artefacts. If the works of art then succeed in reaching people and conveying the value of individual freedom, that would be a significant additional gain.

Elections are due to take place in Saxony-Anhalt in early September; you’d have to be a bit of a cynic to still believe that the current election polls will turn out completely differently in reality. People who fear the future romanticise a past in which they readily overlook the misfortunes of their ancestors, because otherwise they would have to vote differently. Let’s hope that the fundamental values of humanity are not lost in this process.

Let us look ahead with confidence – art always finds a way forward, even in the most difficult situations.

With this in mind, Stephan Zilkens and the team at Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker GmbH in Solothurn and Cologne wish you a good start to the week.