Nazi-looted art collection to be investigated by Dutch gov't, returned
In their statement, the Dutch government said they "aim to return as much as possible of the art looted by the Nazis during the Second World War to its rightful owners.”
By GADI ZAIGUpdated: JUNE 29, 2021 13:17'Gurlitt: Status Report - Nazi Art Theft and its Consequences' exhibition at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn, Germany, November 2, 2017.(photo credit: REUTERS)
An investigation is to be held regarding the origins and migrations of some Nazi-looted art, the Dutch government announced on Friday, according to a report by Artnews.com. In their statement, the government press said they "aim to return as much as possible of the art looted by the Nazis during the Second World War to its rightful owners.”Heirs of the artworks' original owners often laid claims to the pieces that were stolen from their families during World War II. Thanks to this recently-announced investigation, that may no longer be the case.In an effort to be more transparent in its proceedings, the government announced it would re-evaluate artworks in the Netherlands Art Property Collection, which currently contains many pieces that were looted by Nazis.In addition, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands will work to identify the original owners. When they cannot be located, officials will consider sending the art to an official heritage institution. An article by The New York Times stated that the Dutch Restitution Committee had managed to return 588 pieces of artwork out of the 1,600 in the collection. The Dutch government is also planning to return a wide variety of objects from its holdings that were stolen from its indigenous colonies when they retained control over those areas. A Dutch museum paid thousands to compensate for looted Nazi art back in April. Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.
