Over one billion euros (£860m, $1.35 billion) worth of modernist and 19th century art, 1,500+ art works, were found in a Munich apartment February, 2012 but this was announced only in the last days.

Here is a link: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germ...y-a-931926.html

Although this might seem strange there are legal reasons why the Augsburg public prosecutor's office and German customs have been sitting on their find for such a long time. The prosecutor exlained it would have been "counter-productive to go public" with the details earlier as the situation was so complicated, while an additional reason is that under German criminal law after authorities begin an investigation against someone it commences outside of public view.

And they had opened an investigation against Cornelius Gurlitt, the son of the German art collector who 'acquired' these art works, but this was for something totally unconnected and the paintings were found by 'accident'.

Both the original collector and his widow lied about their art collection having been destroyed during the Dresden bombings. Many pictures have no type of traceable documentation and others, including by Marc Chagall, were previously unknown, which has made determining their ownership even more difficult than it is already after the passage of time. And the circumstances which led to their being in the possession of Hildebrand Gurlitt.

The complexities surrounding the find have been described as 'a legal can of worms'. A huge number of claims for restitution from around the world can be expected, many from opportunists no doubt, and with all the logistical and diplomatic difficulties that this will entail preparations had to be put in place, and information found, to deal with as many eventualities as possible.

Additionally with the amount of art involved, identifying and cataloguing could not happen overnight,

Over the last months there has been a great deal of work behind the scenes to try to trace decendents of the rightful owners, many were Jewish collectors who were blackmailed, forced to sell at rock bottom prices or robbed of their art works, and once again because of the circumstances many members of the families, and their descendants, are no longer alive. Nevertheless even though the method of purchase was more than questionable, if proved to have been purchased this is legally binding, so much of the art haul will still belong to Hildebrand Gurlitt's son.

At least 200 of the 1,500 paintings had already been officially reported missing, but the search has had to widen to include those who are even distantly related to the initial owners, and it is possible some will never be traced.

As it has taken over a year before the first announcements were made it might seem the process has been slower than necessary, but it is a complex situation.

Germans have a reputation for thoroughness, and as it was to be expected that there would be thousands of lawsuits from real or imaginary heirs of the original owners, something which has already begun to take placeover the last days, time spent determining facts while trying to tracing genuine heirs to the paintings was one of the authorities' first priorities.


Francine A. McKenna - German Culture Editor

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Avatar: HOHENZOLLERNBRÃœCKE Cologne with CATHEDRAL and LUDWIG MUSEUM. The Bridge a symbol of how Germany was rebuilt after WWII, it was left in ruins, the Cathedral with roots in the 13th century represents the country's history, Museum of Modern Art the present day.