Dr. Christina Berking is partner at the Hamburg office of BUSE. She specializes in art law and advises art dealers, auction houses, galleries, collectors and artists. Her professional occupation touches all aspects of art trade, including protection of cultural property, restitution (Nazi looted art and colonial heritage), forgeries, provenance research, social security insurance for artists etc. One of her focus areas is auction law. In 2016, she co-founded the German art collectors’ association and served on its board for several years. In 2018, she co-founded the Interessengemeinschaft Deutscher Kunsthandel (www.interessengemeinschaftdeutscherkunsthandel.de), the umbrella organisation of the six largest German art trade associations (galleries, auction houses, art dealers, coin dealers, antiquarians) with about 1,000 members.
As spokesperson for the art trade associations she represents the interests of the German art trade in Berlin and Brussels. In particular, she closely accompanied the legislative process of the Cultural Property Protection Act “Kulturgutschutzgesetz” which regulates the import, export and trade of cultural property in Germany. She is also involved in the development of restitution rules for Nazi-looted art. Her activities include dialogue with the UNESCO on measures to combat illegal trade, she is member of the European Commission expert subgroup on dialogue with the Art Market and member of the expert committee on cultural heritage of the Deutscher Kulturrat.
In the “Münchener Kommentar zum Versicherungsvertragsgesetz, Langheid/Wandt, Beck Verlag” she has commented on art insurance law in the forthcoming fourth volume. Christina Berking regularly gives lectures and speaks at panel discussions. In 2019, she organised a conference on the restitution of Nazi looted art in the art trade in Munich („Fair und gerecht? Restitution und Provenienz im Kunstmarkt“, ed. Interessengemeinschaft Deutscher Kunsthandel).
Christina Berking studied law in Freiburg und Dresden and holds a PhD in copyright law and a Master of Arts in Art History. She was awarded the title of a specialist lawyer for copyright and media law (“Fachanwältin für Urheber- und Medienrecht”), is the vice-president of the “Griffelkunstvereinigung” and serves on the advisory board of the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival.
