Egon Schiele Artworks Stolen by Nazis Returned to Family
Several prominent museums and art collectors have returned artwork by Austrian expressionist
Several prominent museums and art collectors have returned artwork by Austrian expressionist
Seven works by the Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele will be handed over on Wednesday to the heirs of the Viennese cabaret artist who had owned them before he was murdered by the Nazis, according to Manhattan prosecutors, marking a major turning point in one of the art world’s longest-running Holocaust restitution cases.
Artwork stolen by Nazis has been returned to its rightful owners. Seven pieces of artwork by Egon Schiele, a Viennese expressionist artist, are now proudly on display in Lower Manhattan. They belonged to Fritz Grunbaum, a cabaret artist, film and radio star from Austria.
“Frtiz Grünbaum was a man of incredible depth and spirit, and his memory lives on through the artworks that are finally being returned to his relatives. I hope this moment can serve as a reminder that despite the horrific death and destruction caused by the Nazis, it is never too late to recover some of what we lost, honor the victims, and reflect on how their families are still impacted to this day. We still have so much to learn from Fritz Grünbaum and these seven pieces that he found to be so beautiful. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is proud to have played a role in remembering his legacy,” said District Attorney Bragg.