Legal battle unfolds over Egon Schiele artworks seized by the Nazis
Shafaq News / The American judicial authorities seized today, Friday, three artworks by the Austrian artist Egon Schiele from major museums in the United States. These artworks were sought by the descendants of their previous owner, a Jewish collector who was a victim of the Nazis during World War II.
A judicial source confirmed this action, which was reported by the American newspaper "The New York Times" prior to the court's decision.
The Supreme Court in New York, in the confiscation orders reviewed by the "France Press" agency, stated that "there are logical reasons to believe that these artworks by the Austrian expressionist artist are stolen and unlawfully owned."
One work, titled "Russian Prisoner of War" (1916), valued at $1.25 million, was seized from the "Art Institute" in Chicago. Another, "Portrait of a Man" (1917), valued at $1 million, was taken from the "Carnegie Museum of Art" in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The third, "Girl with Black Hair" (1911), valued at $1.5 million, was seized from the "Allen Memorial Art Museum" at Oberlin University in Ohio.
The court's documents mentioned that "the three artworks can remain in their current locations for 60 days."
Oberlin University stated that it believes it "legally acquired" the "Girl with Black Hair" by Egon Schiele in 1958 and legally owns the artwork, confirming its cooperation with the investigation.
The Chicago museum explained that the "Russian Prisoner of War" artwork will remain in its possession for now. They added, "We are convinced that we acquired this work legally and we legally own it," announcing their intention to defend themselves through a "civil lawsuit in federal court."
The Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh expressed their willingness to cooperate with the authorities.
The descendants of Fritz Grünbaum, an Austrian Jewish artist and collector who opposed the Nazi regime and was killed in the Dachau concentration camp in 1941, are demanding ownership of these artworks. "The New York Times" reported that the current investigation relates to approximately 12 artworks by Egon Schiele that were looted by the Nazis.
For years, Grünbaum's descendants have been filing lawsuits to reclaim the artworks he owned, citing that he "signed an official document in favor of the Nazi regime in 1938 when he was imprisoned in Dachau."
In 2005, the US judiciary rejected their request, considering it "too late," but they won a lawsuit in 2018 concerning two artworks. In 2016, the US Congress passed the "HEAR Act," extending the deadline for seeking the return of looted artworks.
Similar cases are occurring in other countries. In France, the parliament passed a framework law in July to facilitate the restitution of public collections and cultural properties looted from Jews during the Nazi era.
