Even now in 2006, sixty years after the end of World War II, the
subject of cultural assets seized under Nazi persecution (“looted
art”) and displaced during the war (“trophy art”),
continues to be of interest to politicians, historians, legal experts, and
many others. Thus, at a meeting in January 2005, Germany's Advisory
Commission for the return of cultural assets seized as a result of Nazi
persecution, particularly those cultural assets removed from Jewish
ownership, recommended the return of four paintings presently in the
possession of the Federal Republic of Germany to the community of heirs of
Julius Freund. Also in January 2005, Germany's government, all
federal states and central organizations of municipalities called on
German public bodies not to slow down in their search for cultural assets
seized as a result of Nazi persecution and to report any items found to
the Koordinierungsstelle für Kulturgutverluste (Coordination Office
for Lost Cultural Assets) for display as part of its Internet database
www.lostart.de. Furthermore, in February 2005,
Franz von Lenbach's painting “Prinzessin zu
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn” which had been seized by the Nazis was
identified through www.lostart.de and returned to
the heirs of Bernhard Altmann. The painting was part of the Remaining
Stock CCP (“Linzer Liste”) within www.lostart.de enlisting cultural objects with
provenance gaps in the administration of Germany's Bundesamt zur
Regelung offener Vermögensfragen (Federal Office for the settlement
of ownership issues). The object was on loan from the Bundesamt and in
possession of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Köln (Germany).
