Nazi Looted Art: View of a Dutch Square Through Time

Abstract

After World War II, many Jewish families and their possessions were displaced or seized by German forces, only to resurface after the war. The case of the Kraus family and their painting, View of a Dutch Square, confiscated by the Nazis in 1941, raises particular questions about restitution laws. Our project traces the origin of the painting and displays how the restitution process fell apart when the Bavarian government, charged with the responsibility of returning stolen art to its rightful owners, failed to follow through on their commitment: even returning missing art pieces to the very Nazis who stole them. The current case brought by their grandson, John Graykowski, is an important example of how across Europe families have been devastated by the failed efforts to return works of art to their rightful owners

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