Video: A treasure trove of art stolen by the Nazis has been recovered in an unexpected place. Global National’s Mike Armstrong explains.
BERLIN – A German man who kept a priceless trove of art, possibly including works stolen by the Nazis, hidden in his apartment for half a century says he did so because he “loved” the works.
Cornelius Gurlitt told German magazine Der Spiegel in an interview published Sunday that he wanted to protect his father’s collection from “strangers.”
The magazine quotes the 80-year-old as saying that his late father Hildebrand Gurlitt never bought art from private individuals, only museums or dealers.
The German magazine Focus made international headlines two weeks ago, when they revealed that about 1,500 works by such masters as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Emil Nolde were found in a Munich apartment in early 2011.
Video: Interview with Jewish group regarding apparent looted Nazi art haul
German officials who seized the paintings last year say they suspect the elder Gurlitt may have acquired pictures taken from Jews by the Nazis
According to Reuters, some of the art found may have been on display in German museums during the war, then removed because Hitler’s Third Reich considered them “degenerate.”
Asked about the Focus report, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said authorities in Berlin are aware of the case and are supplying “advice from experts in the field of Nazi-looted art.”
The art stash, if confirmed, could be worth over $1.35 billion, Focus said.
Several heirs of Holocaust survivors have already come forward to claim some of the 1,406 works.
With files from Global News’ Adam Frisk
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