The family of Fritz Grünbaum—a cabaret performer whose art collection was stolen by the Nazis during World War II and the Holocaust—received “Seated Nude Woman, front view,” a work by Austrian artist Egon Schiele.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced the return of the artwork on July 26 to the descendants of its owner in a ceremony attended in New York by District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Members of the Fritz Grünbaum family and—fully cooperating with returning the piece they said they did not know had been stolen—descendants of Gustav Papanek (who bought the art unaware of its origins) also participated.
“The history behind Nazi-looted art is horrific and tragic, and the consequences are still impacting victims and their families to this day,” Bragg said. “It is inspiring to see both the Grünbaum and Papanek families join together to reflect on their shared history and preserve the legacy of Fritz Grünbaum.”
Timothy Reif, a descendant of the owners, said “the recovery of this important artwork—stolen from a prominent Jewish critic of Adolf Hitler—sends a message to the world that crime does not pay and that the law enforcement community in New York has not forgotten the dark lessons of World War II.”