Man at the Center of Nazi Art Trove Speaks

Most people in western society were unaware of Cornelius Gurlitt until police and customs agents raided his Munich apartment back in February 2012. Authorities took every piece of art in this home as part of an investigation into ill-gotten art from the Nazi-era. His father was Hildebrand Gurlitt, an art dealer, who had known ties to the Nazi party and is believed to have profited handsomely from art purchased from Jews either under duress or directly from Nazis who had stolen the art.

Gurlitt’s private collection contained the famous painting “Two Riders on the Beach” by the German-Jewish impressionistic artist Max Lieberman. That piece alone would be the jewel of any private collection. However, Gurlitt’s collection contained pieces by Max Beckmann, Marc Chagall, Franz Marc, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. Understandably, Gurlitt has a strong attachment to the fine art stating “there is nothing I have loved more”. It is his desire to keep the collection.

“It’s possible that my father was once offered something from a private collection,” Gurlitt told German magazine Der Spiegel. “But he would definitely not have taken it.”

“It’s possible that my father was once offered something from a private collection,” Gurlitt told Der Spiegel. “But he would definitely not have taken it.”

Authorities would like to separate the legitimate pieces which the late Hildebrand Gurlitt obtained from the ones he obtained by profiteering from Nazi persecution, but at this point are unable to establish an audit trail for the valuable pieces. The 80-year-old Cornelius Gurlitt believes he is being treated like the clueless prisoners in Frank Kafka’s story “In the Penal Colony” who are sentenced to death never knowing their offenses.

On The Web:
Interview with a Phantom: Cornelius Gurlitt Shares His Secrets
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/spiegel-interview-with-cornelius-gurlitt-about-munich-art-find-a-933953.html