New York, NY (MMD Newswire) October 16, 2014 – Christie’s auction house today announced the upcoming November 5 evening Impressionist and Modern auction of Town on the Blue River (1910) an extremely rare watercolor landscape by the Austrian artist Egon Schiele (1890-1918). The auction is the result of the successful resolution of a restitution settlement agreement with the estate of Fritz Grünbaum, a Viennese Jewish cabaret performer in (1880-1941) who died in the Dachau Concentration Camp.
Category: News about the Case
Negativ Decision of Second Instance
Mit dieser Entscheidung wird David Bakalar das alleinige Besitzrecht auf Schieles Seated Woman with Bent Left Leg (Torso), Sitzende mit angezogenem linken Bein (Torso) von der zweiten Instanz zuerkannt. Begründet wird diese Entscheidung mit einer spezifischen Form der Verjährung im New Yorker Recht, nämlich dem schuldhaften Mangel an Bemühungen der Vorfahren der Erben von Fritz Grünbaum das Bild bereits zu einem früheren Zeitpunkt von David Bakalar zu fordern. Dies obwohl es den Erben und deren Vorfahren der Aufenthaltsort des Bildes völlig unbekannt war. Der erstinstanzliche Richter Judge William H. Pauley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Pauley_III meinte bereits in einem frühen Verfahrensstand, dass für den Fall die Erben von Fritz Grünbaum das Eigentum des Bildes wieder erlangen würden die Ureinwohner von Amerika auch erfolgreich Long Island fordern könnten.….
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With this decision, David Bakalar received sole ownership rights to Schiele Seated Woman with Bent Left Leg (Torso), seated with left leg tightened (torso) is by the second instance. This decision is justified by a specific form of the statute of limitations in New York law (called laches), namely the culpable lack of efforts by the ancestors of the heirs of Fritz Grünbaum to claim the work of art at an earlier time, although the whereabouts of the Gouache was completely unknown.
2012 10 11 Summary Order-negative Schlussentscheidung (english only)
[scribd id=135972899 key=key-m9ctbde8lpo6pxemg66 mode=scroll]
2012 04 16 “Art Dealers Asociation” Amicus Letter / Amicus Brief
2012 04 16 Reply to Opposition to Bakalar Amici Motion for Leave to File Amicus Brief
It is a remarkable that now towards the end of the process, the art dealer represented by the London dealer Richard Nagy http://www.richardnagy.com participates in the proceedings. This commitment to the “Art Dealers Asociation” shows the real opponents of this procedure around looted art, namely deprived families versus art market. Richard Nagy is personally affected by this courts procedure, because part of his portfolio is the de facto inalienable Schiele painting from the collection of Fritz Grunbaum >> Woman in Black Pinafore, JK 888 << . As per “Art Basel, Daily newspaper, Thursday 16, june 2005” the painting was on offer by auction house Richard Nagy for € 650 000,–
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Es ist bemerkenswert, dass nunmehr gegen Ende des Verfahrens die Kunsthändler prominent vertreten durch den Londoner Kunsthändler Richard Nagy http://www.richardnagy.com. Dieses Engagement der „Art Dealers Asociation“ zeigt die eigentlichen Fronten dieses Verfahrens um Raubkunst auf, nämlich beraubte Familien versus Kunstmarkt. Richard Nagy ist persönlich materielle von diesem Verfahren betroffen, da er das Schiele Bild aus der Sammlung von Fritz Grünbaum >>Frau mit schwarzer Schürze (Woman in black Pinafore), JK 888<< de facto unveräußerbar in seinem Portfolio hält. Laut Art Basel Daily Newspaper vom Donnerstag, 16. Juni 2005 war das Bild von Richard Nagy um € 650.000,– zum Verkauf angeboten worden.
Neujahrswünsche / New Year Wishes
Wir wünschen Ihnen ein schönes und erfolgreiches Neues Jahr !
Den Erben von Fritz Grünbaum wünschen wir, dass die zuständigen Stellen zumindest auf Schreiben antworten.
Die Leopold Museum Privatstiftung und Mag. Dr. Sonja Niederacher, Provenienzforschung bm:ukk-lmp im Leopold Museum im MQ ließen dieses Minimum an Hochachtung vermissen.
[scribd id=76780701 key=key-1en2uiq4oumq0s98ny0e mode=list] Unbeantwortete Schreiben an das Leopoldmuseum
[scribd id=76782735 key=key-1f87ievq6kjy3rfk3fav mode=list]Unbeantwortetes Schreiben an Mag. Dr. Niederacher
Weiters wünschen wir den Erbe, dass das Verfahren auf Restitution der beiden Werke Egon Schieles aus der Sammlung Fritz Günbaums die in der Albertina nach einer Schenkung von Erich Lederer verwahrt werden, nach mehr als 12- jähriger Dauer positiv abgeschlossen wird.
We wish you a happy and successful New Year!
We wish to the heirs of Fritz Grunbaum that the competent authorities at least respond to letters.
The Leopold Museum Privatstiftung and Mag. Dr. Sonja Niederacher, provenanceresearcher at the Leopold Museum missed to show this modicum of respect for the heirs.
Furthermore we wish the heirs to get back the two paintings, which are deposed at the Albertina, after 12 years of formal procedure.
Rebuttal on Dossier Grünbaum (English Version)
Find German Version here
With their decision of November 18, 2010, the Commission[1] appointed by the Austrian Federal Minister for Education, Arts and Culture, Dr. Claudia Schmied, under the chairmanship of the former Minister Dr. Nikolaus Michalek concluded that, with regard to the works of art currently held by the Leopold Museum Private Foundation and which were owned by Fritz Grünbaum until 1939, an offense as defined in Section 1 Subsection 1 of the Austrian Art Restitution Law would also not have been committed if these had been federal state property.
This decision was based on the Fritz Grünbaum Dossier compiled by Dr. Sonja Niederacher, dated June 30, 2010.She was jointly commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture and the Leopold Museum Private Foundation.
Through the omission of evidence and poor representation of the evidence put forward, this Dossier led the Commission to the erroneous conclusion that divestment of the collection as defined in Section 1 of the Annulment Act cannot be established.
This document serves as a rebuttal of the errors and omissions made in the compilation of the said Dossier – and presupposes knowledge of the Dossier to avoid repetition.
Read more: Rebuttal of Dossier Gruenbaum
Attachments Dossier:
A – Letter from ITS [international Tracing Service] Bad Arolsen, dated December 20, 2007
B – VAEV Akten Lilly und Fritz Grünbaum
D – Amendment of the Foreign Exchange Control Law from December 1, 1936
E -Ruling by the general Settlement Fund regarding Leon Fischer (english)
F – Ruling by the General Settlement Fund regarding Milos Vavra (english)
H – Der Aufbau: Article on the death of Fritz Grünbaum, dated August 17, 1945 (english translation attached)
I – Probate file for Mathilde Lukacs, 2 A 847 BG Döbling
J – Expert report examining questioned documents of November 7, 2005
K – Bakalar vs. Fischer and Vavra – ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (english)
[1] Members: Head of department Dr. Harald Dossi, President University Professor Clemens Jabloner, Vice President retired Dr. Manfred Kremser, University Professor Franz Stefan Meissel, retired ambassador Dr. Eva Nowotny, University Professor Helmut Ofner, Emeritus University Professor Theo Öhlinger, Emeritus University Professor Peter Rummel, Ambassador Dr. Ferdinand Trauttmannsdorff.
Kritik am Dossier Grünbaum (German)
Find English Version here
Mit Beschluss vom 18. November 2010 kam das von Bundesministerin für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur Dr. Claudia Schmied eingesetzte Gremium
(Mitglieder: SChef Dr. Harald Dossi, Präsident Univ.-Prof. Dr. h.c. Clemens Jabloner, Vizepräs. i.R- Dr. Manfred Kremser, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Franz Stefan Meissel, Botschafterin i.R. Dr. Eva Nowotny, Univ. Prof. Dr. Helmut Ofner, em. o. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Theo Öhlinger, em. o. Univ. – Prof. Dr. Peter Rummel, Botschafter Dr. Ferdinand Trauttmannsdorff unter Vorsitz von BM a.D. Dr. Nikolaus Michalek) zum Schluss, dass bezüglich der Werke, die sich aktuell im Bestand der Leopold Museum – Privatstiftung befinden und deren Eigentümer bis 1939 Fritz Grünbaum war, der Tatbestand des § 1 Abs. 1 Kunstrückgabegesetz auch dann nicht erfüllt wäre, wenn die Bilder Fritz Grünbaums im Bundeseigentum stünden.
Dieser Beschluss erfolgte auf Grundlage des Dossiers zu Fritz Grünbaum, erstellt von Mag. Dr. Sonja Niederacher, am 30. Juni 2010. Sie wurde vom Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur und von der Leopold Museum – Privatstiftung gemeinsam beauftragt. Das Dossier führte die Kommission aufgrund Weglassung von Beweismitteln und mangelhafter Darstellung der vorgelegten Beweismittel zum irrigen Schluss, dass eine Entziehung der Sammlung durch die NS Behörden im Sinne des § 1 Nichtigkeitsgesetz nicht feststellbar ist. Diese Kritik wird die Fehler und Versäumnisse bei der Erstellung des Dossiers aufzeigen, die Kenntnis des Dossiers wird vorausgesetzt, auch um Wiederholungen zu vermeiden.
Lesen sie hier weiter:
Kritik am Dossier Grünbaum (pdf, 1580kb)
Anlagen zum Dossier:
A – Schreiben des ITS Bad Arolsen vom 20.12.2007
B – VAEV Akten Lilly und Fritz Grünbaum
C – Bestätigung des ÖSTA vom 26. Februar 2008, esgibt keine Akten aus den Beständen der Devise
D – Gesetz zur Änderung über die Devisenbewirtschaftung vom 1. Dezember 1936
E -Entscheidung des Allgemeinen Entschädigungsfonds bezüglich Leon Fischer
F – Entscheidung Allgemeinen Entschädigungsfonds Milos Vavra
G – Antrag an Nationalfond Leon Fischer
H – Antrag an Nationalfond Milos Vavra
I – aus Akt der SVA der Gewerblichen Wirschaft 1959 Sigmund Lukacs
J – Der Aufbau-Artikel zum Tod von Fritz Grünbaum vom 17.08.1945
K – Verlassenschaftsakt Mathilde Lukacs, 2 A 847 BG Döbling
L – Schriftgutachten vom 7.11.2005
M – Bakalar vs Fischer and Vavra – Zweitinstanzliche Entscheidung samt Übersetzung
O – Bratschi Emch & Partner im Auftrag der Gallerie Kornfeld an Herrn Thomas Buomberger vom 16041998
2010 09 02 Zweitinstanzliche Entscheidung bestätigt: Grünbaums Bilder sind Raubkunst
Zweitinstanzliche Entscheidung Bakalar vs. Vavra (deutsch)
Second Circuit decision Bakalar vs. Vavra (english)
Aus der Entscheidung:
Grünbaum wurde bei einem Fluchtversuch vor den Nazis verhaftet. Nach seiner Verhaftung war er
niemals wieder in physischem Besitz eines seiner Kunstwerke einschließlich der Zeichnung gelangt.
Mit der Vollmacht, die er während seines Aufenthalts im Konzentrationslager Dachau unterschreiben
musste, wurde ihm jede rechtliche Kontrolle über die Zeichnung entzogen. Dieser unfreiwillige
Entzug von Besitz und rechtlicher Kontrolle haben jede nachfolgende Übertragung nichtig gemacht.
Damit ist ein klares Urteil gefällt! Wir warten auf die längst überfällige Bestätigung des BMUKK und die Anweisung an Albertina und Leopoldmuseum, die Bilder aus der Sammlung Grünbaum zurückzugeben.
Informationen zu den zu restituierenden Bildern in Österreich finden Sie hier.
Letter from Ray Dowd to Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture
This letter was send by laywer Raymond Dowd to the director of the Bureau of the Commission for Provenance Research, OR Dr. Christoph Bazil
For the cited quotes, please read Second Circuit decision Bakalar vs. Vavra (english)
From: Raymond Dowd
Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2010 12:53 PM
To: ‘Bazil Christoph’
Subject: Second Circuit Decision in Bakalar v Vavra (Estate of Fritz Grunbaum)Dear Christoph: I hope that all is well with you and that you enjoyed your summer. I think you will be pleased to see that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed with the Grunbaum heirs in a decision issued on September 2, 2010. Please note on page 21 of the opinion:
Grunbaum was arrested while attempting to flee from the Nazis. After his arrest, he never again had physical possession of any of his artwork, including the Drawing. The power of attorney, which he was forced to execute while in the Dachau concentration camp, divested him of his legal control over the Drawing. Such an involuntary divestiture of possession and legal control rendered any subsequent transfer void.
The opinion notes that this is consistent with Austrian legal principles, including recent decisions of the Austrian Supreme Court.
We note that Article 26 of the Austrian State Treaty obligates Austria to return Fritz Grunbaum’s property to his heirs, as does Austrian inheritance law. You have made me many promises that you and Minister Schmied were going to investigate this case and issue a report. It has been 11 years of waiting.
We note that Eberhard Kornfeld invented a fairy story about Fritz Grunbaum’s sister in law in 1999 after Dead City was seized at MoMA. Our handwriting experts debunked this story, which is based on clearly false and fraudulent documents.
But based on the new Second Circuit decision, it is clear that the whole story of Mathilde Lukacs is legally irrelevant. Even if she did steal it and sell it in Switzerland, this has no effect on legal title of Fritz Grunbaum or his heirs. Austrian law respects exactly this principle as well.
As a lawyer, you can now appreciate that Austria has no additional excuses for holding onto Fritz Grunbaum’s property. Now that this is all crystal clear, can you please have Austria return the stolen Schieles currently in the Leopold and Albertina Museums that the Grunbaum heirs have demanded? There is no reason that the Austrian police can’t do this at your request.
You will see that the recent case decided August 12, 2010 of Cassirer v Kingdom of Spain has reaffirmed the right of US citizens to sue foreign governments in the United States for purchasing or displaying stolen artworks. http://www.scribd.com/doc/35962710/Cassirer-vs-Kingdom-of-Spain-9th-Cir-August-12-2010. This also applied where the government has created a Foundation (like a Stiftung) to hold the stolen objects. Spain bought the tainted Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection and tried to pretend that it could not be sued because it was in a foundation.
So you see that U.S. courts have rejected what you believed when we last spoke would be a valid defense. Putting stolen goods in the Leopold does not shield Austria from liability under these principles.
As you know, we have been very patient based on our respect for the IKG (Jewish Community in Vienna) and their view that Minister Schmied would act with fairness and diligence if permitted the opportunity.
If you need a limited amount of additional time to make a decision, please let me know how much time you need. If the amount of time is reasonable, we will of course forbear action to permit you to act.
Respectfully yours,
Raymond J. Dowd
2010 09 02 Second Circuit Rules Drawing Case involving Fritz Grünbaum
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today in a case involving the Estate of Fritz Grunbaum.
Zweitinstanzliche Entscheidung Bakalar vs. Vavra (deutsch)
The Second Circuit concluded:
Grunbaum was arrested while attempting to flee from the Nazis. After his arrest, he never again had physical possession of any of his artwork, including the Drawing. The power of attorney, which he was forced to execute while in the Dachau concentration camp, divested him of his legal control over the Drawing. Such an involuntary divestiture of possession and legal control rendered any subsequent transfer void.
Fritz Grunbaum’s art collection made headlines when D.A. Robert Morgenthau seized Egon Schiele’s Dead City from the MoMA in New York City. At the same time, Morgenthau seized Egon Schiele’s Portrait of Wally, which was also stolen. Portrait of Wally was returned by Austria this summer.
The Grunbaum heirs are waiting on Austria to make a decision on whether or not to return Dead City and the other artworks stolen from Fritz Grunbaum that are now in the Albertina and Leopold Museums. Austria has promised to issue a report soon, and then The Austrian Commission for Provenance Research is expected to rule.
On the Eve of Criminal Trial in U.S., Rudolph Leopold, Collector of Artworks Stolen from Jews, Dies in Vienna
Egon Schiele’s Dead City
Art collector Rudolph Leopold died today in Vienna, Austria.
In 1998, D.A. Robert Morgenthau seized two stolen artworks at the Museum of Modern Art that Leopold had loaned to the MoMA: Egon Schiele’s Dead City and Schiele’s Portrait of Wally.
Leopold was scheduled to stand criminal trial this summer before the Hon. Loretta A. Preska in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York after Judge Preska determined that Portrait of Wally was stolen.
But MoMA returned the stolen Dead City to the Leopold Museum in Austria. The Austrian Provenance Commission’s head Dr. Christoph Bazil, has repeatedly promised to investigate Dead City‘s provenance and those of other Schiele’s stolen from Fritz Grunbaum that are in the Leopold and Albertina Museums in Vienna, but after 11 years, no report has issued.
Austria purchased Leopold’s collection and made Leopold director of the Leopold Museum for life. It remains to be seen whether Austria will carry through on its promises to investigate and return the stolen works in Leopold’s collection.
Article 26 of the 1955 Austrian State Treaty requires Austria to return all property stolen from Nazi persecutees. Yet Austria has not only failed to return the property, but repeatedly set up enabling legislation designed to frustrate claims and then let the legislation lapse.