German Artists Protest Cultural Protection Law with Loan Withdrawals

German artists and collectors are escalating opposition to proposed cultural protection legislation that would require export permits for artworks over 50 years old valued above €150,000. Georg Baselitz has withdrawn his works from loan to several major German museums in protest. Artist Gerhardt Richter criticized the proposal as interference with artistic freedom. Max Beckmann's granddaughter announced she would withdraw all loans of the artist's work from the Leipzig Museum of Fine Arts. Culture Minister Monika Grütters proposed the legislation to preserve national treasures, but acknowledged it remains in draft form. In response to protests, potential amendments could raise the minimum value threshold to €300,000 and increase the age requirement to 70 years, which would exclude most contemporary art from the regulations. The Art Newspaper reported on the growing opposition to these legal changes.