60 additional works of art were found by police in Cornelius Gurlitt’s 2nd home, this one in Austria.
Suspicion: As in first find, most were taken from Jewish families by the Nazis during World War II.
After discovering over 1,400 artworks worth $1.35 billion that disappeared during World War II in a Munich apartment — German authorities did not think they would find anymore masterpieces in the possession of Cornelius Gurlitt — the son of an art dealer who worked with the Nazis during the war.
Gurlitt apartment in Salzburg – Photo: GettyImages
But life is full of surprises and it was reported Tuesday that the 81-year-old Gurlitt was holding 60 additional works — including paintings by the acclaimed Picasso, Renoir and Monet — in a second home in Salzburg, Austria.
Gurlitt’s spokesman, Stephan Holzinger, claimed there is cooperation between the sides and that Austrian and German authorities are investigating whether any of the paintings were looted from Jews by the Nazis. “Gurlitt has instructed to turn the works over to experts to investigate whether they were stolen,” the spokesperson said, adding that an initial evaluation suggested they were not looted. The works have been transferred to authorities to avoid theft.
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The saga began nearly two years ago when German tax authorities raided Gurlitt’s Munich home after he was suspected of tax evasion. During the raid hundreds of artifacts were unearthed but the findings were kept quiet until a German news magazine broke the story in November.
View original Israel Hayom publication at: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=15433
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