Why the Right to Return Nazi-Looted Property is at Risk – An Open Letter to the Chancellor of Germany

The debate over the restitution of Nazi-looted art is taking a concerning turn. A group of lawyers, historians, and descendants of Nazi victims has addressed an open letter to Chancellor Olaf Scholz, drawing attention to looming setbacks in restitution law. The letter warns against the planned abolition of the Advisory Commission for Nazi-Looted Art – an institution that has been advocating for justice in handling Nazi-looted art for over 20 years.

In its place, a new arbitration court is set to be introduced, which, according to the signatories, would significantly restrict the rights of victims. Art dealers and those who were forced to sell cultural assets under persecution would be particularly affected. The signatories criticize that these changes have been decided without public debate or parliamentary hearings.

The open letter calls for halting the initiative until a comprehensive hearing is held in the Bundestag. The goal is to preserve restitution rights and amplify the voices of victims.

Find the english translation of the letter below the original text.
202501006OffenerBriefResitution

202501006OpenLetterRestitutionGermany

To watch: Great STOLEN Art Explained; Egon Schiele & Fritz Gruenbaum

This video was done by James Payne, a curator, gallerist, and a passionate art lover. Check out his Youtube-channel Great Art Explained for other great videos

He writes about this film:

“This film looks at how stolen art “disappears” in a complicated practise designed to obscure facts and create wealth for the art market. How the true owners of these artworks, the descendants of Holocaust victims, are still fighting a system that stops at nothing to keep secrets and protect its wealthy clientele. There are works in private collections and established museums right now, which were stolen by the Nazis.
I think, it’s about time they were returned.”

CREDITS
Opening Animation and Title Sequence by Brian Adsit (instagram https://instagram.com/brian_vfx?utm_m… and Behance www.behance.com/badsit88)

Recording by Robert Lewis
Research Assistant: Jake Phillips

VIDEOS
All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel do not claim any right over them.

MUSIC
Fritz Grünbaum singing “Made in Germany”

FILMS
The Monuments Men – 2014 – ©20th Century Studios
Triumph of the Will – 1935 – ©UFA GmbH

BOOKS
Schiele by Reinhard Steiner
Egon Schiele: Landscapes by Rudolf Leopold
Hitler’s Art Thief by Susan Ronald

In the News: Chicago Museum Clinging To Nazi-Looted Art, NY Court Told

Law360, New York (August 29, 2024, 6:47 PM EDT) — A prosecutor in the Manhattan DistrictAttorney’s Office argued in court Thursday that the Art Institute of Chicago is ignoring the horrors of the Nazi regime as it “desperately” attempts to hold onto a Holocaust victim’s stolen Egon Schiele drawing.

Law360, New York (29. August 2024, 18:47 Uhr EDT) – Ein Staatsanwalt der Staatsanwaltschaft von Manhattan argumentierte am Donnerstag vor Gericht, dass das Art Institute of Chicago die Schrecken des Nazi-Regimes ignoriert, während es „verzweifelt“ versucht, die gestohlene Egon-Schiele-Zeichnung eines Holocaust-Opfers zu behalten.

 

20240831- Law360 - Chicago Museum Clinging To Nazi-Looted Art, NY Court Told

 

20240831- Law360 - Chicago Museum Clinging To Nazi-Looted Art, NY Court Told_de

European Dreams – Watch the movie!

Julius Klausner and Robert Graetz, German Jewish industrialists, defied the odds to build their economic empires from scratch. In 2016, a letter listing looted artworks from WWII brings their two grandchildren on a poignant journey to reclaim their lost art. Their lawyer, Fritz Enderlein, is an 88-year-old German lawyer who fought in the Wehrmacht and now works tirelessly to restore looted works of art to their rightful owners, decades after they were taken. Together, they navigate a complex web of bureaucracy, concealment, and denial as they delve deeper into the world of art.

https://www.europeandreamfilm.com/

Restituted Grünbaum works auctioned at Christie´s

Christie’s auctioned two restituted Egon Schiele works on paper during its 20th Century Evening Sale, 16 May 2024. Both works date from 1911 and are masterfully executed in gouache, watercolor, and pencil on paper: Stehender Akt mit Draperietuch (Standing Nude With Drapery and Schwarzes Mädchen (Black Girl or Girl in Black) . These two exceptional watercolors were part of the Collection Fritz Grünbaum which were returned to the heirs in the last months.

In the News: Chicago Magazin, The Drawing the Art Institute Won’t Give Back

The heirs of a famous Jewish entertainer killed in the Holocaust want the museum to return a work they say was stolen by the Nazis. But was it really?

20240514 - Chicagomag_The Drawing the Art Institute Won’t Give Back

Find the German Translation below:

20240514 - Chicagomag_The Drawing the Art Institute Won’t Give Back_de