Goebbels views the ?Degenerate Art? exhibition in Berlin in 1937. Image by Wikicommons

Works by several of the greatest artists of the modern age have been held at a secret location near Munich for the past two years, after having been discovered in a raid by the German authorities on the apartment of an elderly man accused of tax fraud.

The 1,500 pieces include works by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and Klee. According to the German magazine, Focus, which broke the story, their total value is in the region of 1 billion Euros.

The works are believed to have belonged to Jewish collectors and considered “degenerate” before World War II and to have been confiscated by the Nazis. Many were considered lost until now. They were purchased during the 1930s and 1940s by the German art dealer Hildebrandt Gurlitt, who was an associate of the Nazi leadership.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Gurlitt’s son Cornelius, 80, kept them for half a century in a dark room in his apartment, following his father’s death in 1956. He is believed to have sold off some of the works to support himself.

Cornelius Gurlitt was stopped during a routine check by the tax authorities in 2010, while returning to Munich from Switzerland. The check led to the launch of an investigation for tax evasion and a search of Gurlitt’s home in 2011, during which the works were discovered.

Read more at Haaretz.com.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount