German looted art restitution project shows 1st results

BERLIN – Several German cultural institutions and the American heirs of a German-Jewish family have presented the first results of their joint efforts to restitute a vast art collection stolen by the Nazis.

Berlin’s state museums found among their collections nine artworks that the Nazis looted from Berlin newspaper publisher Rudolf Mosse, and returned them to Mosse’s heirs. Of those, three have been resold to the museums, including the marble sculpture “Susanna” by artist Reinhold Begas.

Other German museums and research institutions are also involved in the huge restitution efforts, which involve over 1,000 pieces of art believed stolen from Mosse by the Nazis.

A representative of Mosse’s heirs, Roger Strauch, told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday that the joint project was unique because of the co-operation of all institutions involved.