U.S.
Returns German Paintings Stolen in WWII
 |
"Amalfi
Cave" (1845).
Bürkel
Gallery in Pirmasens Photo / U.S. Embassy in Germany |
(FBI) They
were casualties of war—three nineteenth-century oil paintings
that went missing from a German air-raid shelter during
the waning days of World
War II.
Now, after
more than six decades on the lam, these cultural treasures
are safely back home in the Pirmasens, Germany, museum where
they were last displayed.
On Friday,
U.S. Ambassador to Germany William Timken presented the Heinrich
Bürkel paintings to the Lord Mayor of Pirmasens, Dr. Bernhard
Matheis. Joining them for the ceremony were other Pirmasens
officials, representatives from the German government, and
U.S. diplomats, along with Eric Ives, who heads our Art Theft
program in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia Division Special
Agent Bob Wittman, FBI Art Crime Team senior investigator.
 |
"After
the Hunt" (1830).
Bürkel
Gallery in Pirmasens Photo / U.S. Embassy in Germany |
"We’re
thrilled that these priceless works of art are back in the hands
of the German people," said Ives. "Our Art Crime Team
was just happy to be able to play a small part in recovering the
paintings and facilitating their return to their rightful owners."
Here’s what
we know about the journeys of the paintings over the years:
Early to
mid-1800s: Burkel paints "After the Hunt" (circa
1830), "Amalfi Cave" (circa 1845), and "The
Horse Round-up" (circa 1861-1863).
1925: All
three paintings are acquired and subsequently exhibited by
the Pirmasens Museum in Germany.
May 13, 1942:
To avoid Allied bombings, the paintings were taken to a local
air-raid shelter outside of Pirmasens.
 |
"The
Horse Round-up" (1861-1867).
Bürkel
Gallery in Pirmasens Photo / U.S. Embassy in Germany |
September
19, 1945: The museum reports that "about 50 paintings
which had been stored in the air-raid shelter at Husterhoh
School during the war have been lost during the arrival of
the American troops on March 22, 1945." The works were
later smuggled to the U.S. by unknown individuals.
Mid-1960s:
A New Jersey man purchases the paintings.
Late 1980s:
The paintings are handed down to the man’s daughter.
October 25,
2005: The William H. Bunch Auction and Appraisal Company in
Pennsylvania advertises the sale of the paintings on the Internet
and through the print media. Heike Wittmer, Pirmasens Museum
Director and Archivist, spots the paintings for sale and alerts
German authorities. U.S. Embassy officials contact the FBI,
which halts the sale and takes custody of the paintings from
the consignor, who voluntarily agrees to their return to Germany.
Winter, 2006:
The paintings are repatriated to Germany by the U.S.