The German Museum in Munich has returned a painting by the landscape and portrait painter Hans Thoma that was stolen by the Nazis. The painting “Sea Awakening” comes from the collection of the Jewish manufacturer Sigmund Waldes from Dresden and has now been handed over to his heirs, the museum in Munich announced. No information was given on the value of the painting. Comparable works by Thoma (1839-1924), who was born in Bernau in Baden-Württemberg, have fetched between 10,000 and 30,000 euros at auction.
Seizure of the art collection
According to the information, Waldes emigrated to New York in 1938 via Paris and London. His property, including a large art collection, was seized in 1939. In 1941, Waldes was forced to agree to an agreement whereby his assets were transferred to the German Reich. The works of art were then sold on behalf of the Reich Ministry of Economics and, through unknown means, came into the possession of the Pforzheim industrialist Max Bühler (1887-1978). The painting then came into the collection of the German Museum through his estate, it was said.
Deposit seal raises suspicion of looted art
According to the museum, the fact that this was looted art was discovered as part of a provenance research project that also searched through the scientific and technical collection. A small seal from the Dresden District Court on the back of the painting led the researchers on the right track. The seizure made the painting a suspect case, explained the research team, which eventually found what it was looking for in the Lost Art Internet database. The museum ultimately tried to restitute it, i.e. return it to the heirs, who both live in the USA.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240919-930-237226/1
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