
In 1938, Germany was governed by the Nazis. It is undisputed that Gestapo agents of that government stole 12,500 rare posters from the father of Holocaust survivor, Peter Sachs.
In 1945, the rare posters were installed in a Museum behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany unknown to their owner Mr Sachs.
In 1961, the West German government paid Mr Sachs father $50,000 in compensation for the theft, with no information about what happened to the posters available it was presumed they were destroyed either totally or in part. As it turned out many of them were destroyed, with only 4300 posters retained.
In 1974, Mr Sachs' father died.
In 1990, the Berlin Wall and the East German regime were toppled and the German Historical Museum receieved the stolen collection.
In 2005, Mr Sachs found out about the survival of the collection and has pursued its return ever since.
In 2007, the German government has still not returned the posters to their rightful owner but has instead created an eight-member panel "to look into the matter".
You confused about why they would even consider keeping stolen property? They are worth anything from $10 to $50 million USD.
The panel is due to announce its findings now. For the sake of Germany's reputation, we can only hope they return the stolen goods very soon and with a grovelling apology. There is one word for these people in a language their predecessor German government tried to obliterate from the face of the Earth: chutzpah.
Game on.
To read more click here, here and here.
Friday, 26 January 2007
SIMPLE: It Belongs To Him Just Give It Back // German Government Keeps Artworks Stolen by Nazi Predecessors From Persecuted Jews
Posted by
Andrew Landeryou
at
2:19 AM
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