German translation below / Deutsche Übersetzung unterhalb
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In the News: Chicago Business – In this legal fight, the Art Institute stands to lose more than an artwork
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Category: News about the Case
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In the News: New York Times – Investigators Say Chicago’s Art Institute Is Holding onto ‘Looted Art’
OTS: Sieben Werke der Sammlung Grünbaum in New York restituiert
Please find the English version here
Klage gegen die Republik Österreich wurde in New York eingereicht. Werden die Albertina und das Leopoldmuseum dem Beispiel der amerikanischen Museen folgen und freiwillig 12 Bilder
restituieren?
Wien/New York (OTS) – Sieben bedeutende Kunstwerke Egon Schieles wurden am Mittwochnachmittag feierlich an die Erben des Wiener Kabarettisten Fritz Grünbaum übergeben. Die Staatsanwaltschaft Manhattan bezeichnet diesen Akt als einen entscheidenden Meilenstein in einem der längsten Holocaust-Restitutionsfälle in der Kunstwelt.
Die Zeremonie zur Rückgabe der Kunstwerke an die Erben von Fritz Grünbaum, der 1941 im Konzentrationslager Dachau ermordet wurde, fand im Büro des Bezirksstaatsanwalts von Manhattan, Alvin L. Bragg, statt, in dessen Zuständigkeit der Fall liegt.
“Dies ist von enormer Bedeutung in unserer Welt”, betonte Timothy Reif, einer der Grünbaum-Erben, und verwies auf die Nachkommen von Holocaust-Opfern, die seit fast 80 Jahren die Rückgabe geraubten Eigentums fordern. “Es gibt den Ton und die Tagesordnung für alle künftigen Fälle vor. Seit mehr als einem Vierteljahrhundert kämpfen die Grünbaum-Erben um die Rückgabe verschiedener Schiele-Werke. Diese Forderungen, die zu Zivilklagen vor Gerichten geführt haben, werden in der Kunstwelt aufmerksam verfolgt.”
Die Staatsanwaltschaft von Manhattan nahm den Fall im Dezember 2022 auf, nachdem ein New Yorker Zivilgericht 2018 entschieden hatte, dass Fritz Grünbaum keines seiner Werke vor seinem Tod verkauft oder zurückgegeben hatte, was bedeutete, dass seine Erben die legitimen Eigentümer waren. Die Staatsanwälte konnten Beweise dafür vorlegen, dass die sieben Werke durch die Hände eines Händlers in Manhattan gegangen waren, wodurch sie rechtliche Zuständigkeit beanspruchten. Diesmal war jedoch etwas anders: Mehrere Museen und Sammler, die von der Staatsanwaltschaft kontaktiert wurden, stimmten zu, die Schiele-Werke an die Erben zurückzugeben, nachdem ihnen mitgeteilt wurde, dass sie gestohlenes Eigentum besaßen.
Die sieben freiwillig zurückgegebenen Werke befanden sich im Besitz von drei Museen – dem Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), der Morgan Library & Museum, beide in New York, sowie dem Santa Barbara Museum of Art in Kalifornien – sowie von zwei Sammlern, Ronald S. Lauder, dem Präsidenten des Jüdischen Weltkongresses und langjährigen Befürworter der Holocaust-Restitution, sowie dem Nachlass von Serge Sabarsky, einem bekannten Kunstsammler. Ein achtes Werk aus dem Nachlass von Sabarsky wurde zuvor bereits an die Erben zurückgegeben.
“Fritz Grünbaum war ein Mann von unglaublicher Tiefe und Geist, und sein Andenken lebt durch die Kunstwerke weiter, die nun endlich an seine Verwandten zurückgegeben werden“, sagte Bragg in einer Erklärung. “Ich hoffe, dass dieser Moment als Erinnerung daran dienen kann, dass es trotz des schrecklichen Todes und der Zerstörung durch die Nazis nie zu spät ist, etwas von dem wiederzuerlangen, was verloren wurde.”
Damit ist auch die Problematik der im Besitz der österreichischen Museen Albertina und Sammlung Leopold befindlichen Bilder aus der Sammlung Grünbaum wieder ins Zentrum der Restitutionspolitik gerückt.
Die Erben von Fritz Grünbaum haben beim Southern District Court in New York Klage gegen das Leopold Museum, die Albertina und deren rechtlichen bzw. faktischen Eigentümer, die Republik Österreich, auf Feststellung des Eigentums und Herausgabe der folgenden Werke von Egon Schiele eingebracht:
1. Tote Stadt III (1911) (P.213)
2. Selbstbildnis mit Fratze (1910) (D.705)
3. Stehender Mann mit rotem Schal (1913) (D.1420)
4. Rote Bluse (1913) (D.1394)
5. Umarmende Akte (1914) (D.1606)
6. Verschlungene Akte (1912) (D.1147)
7. Sitzendes Mädchen mit gelbem Tuch (1913) (D.1278)
8. Hingabe (1912) (D.1418)
9. Stehendes Mädchen mit orangefarbenen Strümpfen (1914) (D.1488)
10. Selbstbildnis als Büßer (1911) (D.942)
11. Tante und Neffe (1915) (D.1797)
12. Sitzender weiblicher Akt auf rotem Tuch (1914) (D.1504)
Der österreichische Vertreter der Erben nach Fritz Grünbaum, Herbert Gruber, meint dazu:
“Erstaunlich ist in diesem Zusammenhang, dass keiner der Beklagtenvertreter mit den Vertretern der Erben von Fritz Grünbaum in irgendeiner Form Kontakt aufgenommen hat, um eine außergerichtliche Lösung zu finden. Die Republik Österreich beauftragte einen der teuersten Anwälte New Yorks mit einem Stundenhonorar von jedenfalls USD 2000, und dies trotz der desaströsen Ergebnisse in Raubkunstfällen wie Klimts „Das Bildnis Adele Bloch-Bauer I“, auch „Goldene Adele“ genannt.”
Pressekit (Klage, Fotos, diverse Presseaussendungen)
Rückfragehinweis:
Österreichischer Rechtsvertreter der Erben nach Fritz Grünbaum:
Mag. Michael Pilz
Telefon: +43 (0)1 406 05 51
Email: michael.pilz@jus.at
Amerikanischer Rechtsvertreter der Erben nach Fritz Grünbaum:
Raymond J. Dowd
Telefon: +1 212 682 8811
Email: rdowd@dunnington.com
OTS: Seven works from the Grünbaum Collection restituted in New York
Hier finden sie die deutsche Version
Lawsuit against the Republic of Austria has been filed in New York. Will the Albertina and the Leopoldmuseum follow the example of the American museums and voluntarily restitute 12 paintings?
Vienna/New York (OTS) – Seven important works of art by Egon Schiele were ceremoniously handed over to the heirs of Viennese cabaret artist Fritz Grünbaum on Wednesday afternoon. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office calls the act a crucial milestone in one of the longest-running Holocaust restitution cases in the art world.
The ceremony to return the artworks to the heirs of Fritz Grünbaum, who was murdered in the Dachau concentration camp in 1941, took place in the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, in whose jurisdiction the case lies.
“This is of enormous importance in our world,” stressed Timothy Reif, one of the Grünbaum heirs, referring to the descendants of Holocaust victims who have been demanding the return of looted property for nearly 80 years. “It sets the tone and agenda for all future cases. For more than a quarter of a century, the Grünbaum heirs have been fighting for the return of various Schiele works. These demands, which have led to civil suits in the courts, are closely followed in the art world.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office took up the case in December 2022 after a New York civil court ruled in 2018 that Fritz Grünbaum had not sold or returned any of his works before his death, meaning his heirs were the legitimate owners. Prosecutors were able to present evidence that the seven works had passed through the hands of a Manhattan dealer, claiming legal jurisdiction. This time, however, was different: several museums and collectors contacted by prosecutors agreed to return the Schiele works to the heirs after being told they had stolen property.
The seven works voluntarily returned were owned by three museums – the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Morgan Library & Museum, both in New York, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in California – as well as two collectors, Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress and a longtime advocate of Holocaust restitution, and the estate of Serge Sabarsky, a well-known art collector. An eighth work from Sabarsky’s estate was previously returned to his heirs.
“Fritz Grünbaum was a man of incredible depth and spirit, and his memory lives on through the artwork that is finally being returned to his relatives,” Bragg said in a statement. “I hope this moment can serve as a reminder that despite the horrific death and destruction at the hands of the Nazis, it’s never too late to recover some of what was lost.”
This has also brought the issue of the paintings from the Grünbaum Collection held by the Austrian museums Albertina and Leopold Collection back to the center of restitution policy.
The heirs of Fritz Grünbaum have brought suit in the Southern District Court in New York against the Leopold Museum, the Albertina, and their legal or de facto owner, the Republic of Austria, for a declaration of ownership and restitution of the following works by Egon Schiele:
1. Dead city III (1911) (P.213)
2. Self-portrait with grimace (1910) (D.705)
3. Standing man with red scarf (1913) (D.1420)
4. Red blouse (1913) (D.1394)
5. Embracing nudes (1914) (D.1606)
6. Intertwined nudes (1912) (D.1147)
7. Seated girl with yellow cloth (1913) (D.1278)
8. Devotion (1912) (D.1418)
9. Standing girl with orange stockings (1914) (D.1488)
10. Self-portrait as penitent (1911) (D.942)
11. Aunt and nephew (1915) (D.1797)
12. Seated female nude on red cloth (1914) (D.1504)
The Austrian representative of the heirs after Fritz Grünbaum, Herbert Gruber, comments:
“It is astonishing in this context that none of the defendants’ representatives contacted the representatives of the heirs of Fritz Grünbaum in any form to find an out-of-court solution. The Republic of Austria hired one of the most expensive lawyers in New York with an hourly fee of USD 2000 in any case, and this despite the disastrous results in looted art cases such as Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I”, also called “Golden Adele”.”
Enquiries:
Austrian legal representative of the heirs after Fritz Grünbaum:
Mag. Michael Pilz
Telephone: +43 (0)1 406 05 51
Email: michael.pilz@jus.at
American legal representative of the heirs of Fritz Grünbaum:
Raymond J. Dowd
Phone: +1 212 682 8811
Email: rdowd@dunnington.com
SOLD! Fritz Gruenbaum’s Egon Schiele Works
Fritz Gruenbaum’s Egon Schiele Works on Paper in Christie´s 20th Century Evening Sale
PRESS RELEASE | NEW YORK |
IMPORTANT EGON SCHIELE WORKS ON PAPER IN 20TH CENTURY EVENING SALE
PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE VIENNESE CABARET AND FILM STAR, FRITZ GRÜNBAUM
LIVE AUCTION: 17 NOVEMBER 2022 at Rockefeller Center
 |
 |
| Property from the Collection of the Viennese Cabaret and
Film Star Fritz Grünbaum EGON SCHIELE (1890-1918) Frau, das Gesicht verbergend signed and dated ‘EGON SCHIELE 1912’. gouache, watercolor and pencil on paper 12 ¼ x 18 ⅞ in. (31.5 x 48 cm.) Executed in 1912 Estimate: $1,500,00-2,000,000 |
Property from the Collection of the Viennese Cabaret and
Film Star Fritz Grünbaum EGON SCHIELE (1890-1918) Frau mit schwarzer Schürze (recto); Studie fur Frau (verso) signed and dated ‘EGON SCHIELE 1911.’ (center right; recto) gouache, watercolor and pencil on paper (recto); pencil on paper (verso) 19 ⅛ x 12 ¾ in. (48.5 x 32.2 cm.) Executed in 1911 Estimate: $500,00-800,000 |
New York— Christie’s is honored to include two important works on paper by Egon Schiele – formerly in the collection of the Viennese cabaret and film star Fritz Grünbaum – in the 20th Century Evening Sale taking place live on 17 November 2022 at Rockefeller Center. These two works trace Schiele’s development during 1911-1912, two crucial years in his brief career. The works were part of the collection numbering in the hundreds of works that Fritz Grünbaum – said to be the inspiration for Joel Gray’s character in the Broadway musical Cabaret – assembled in Vienna in the first decades of the last century. The collection was lost when the Nazis invaded Austria in the late 1930s, and both Mr. Grünbaum and his wife were sent to concentration camps where they perished. These two works were recently restituted to the Grünbaum family.
Frau, das Gesicht verbergend (estimate: $1,500,00-2,000,000)
Created in 1912, this work is notable for the unusual viewpoint and suggestively intimate pose of the sitter, and focuses on the sinuous form of the model as she twists on to her side and begins to remove her clothing under the artist’s watchful gaze. Although the sitter’s identity remains a mystery, her face hidden under the crook of her arm as she moves, the wild tangle of black hair falling loosely in a cloud around her is reminiscent of a series of portraits Schiele created of the bohemian dancer and mime artist Moa. Rejecting the traditional idealization of the female nude, and including the blemishes and anatomical quirks which marked the model’s body, this work captures the explosive modernity of Schiele’s vision during this period.
Frau mit schwarzer Schürze (estimate: $500,00-800,000)
Executed in delicate layers of pigment, Frau mit Schwarzer Schürze reveals Schiele’s growing confidence in the use of watercolor during the latter half of 1911. His art had undergone a dramatic transformation over the course of the previous year, shifting away from the bold, jagged, angular lines that had previously dominated his oeuvre to explore a softer, more delicate approach to form. In this work, Schiele allows the washes of color to bleed over the contours of his pencil drawing underneath, lending the outline of the figure a more rounded, organic character. Retaining a sense of the fluidity of the paint and the bold movements of the artist’s paintbrush as it danced across the page, Schiele plays with the sheer liquidity of the watercolor, limiting the flow of the pigment by adding a subtle white “halo” around the edges of the young girl’s body.
Vanessa Fusco, Head of Impressionist & Modern Art and Head of 20th Evening Sale, said: “These two exquisite works by Schiele display the daring nature of his ground-breaking studies of the female figure, an artistic obsession which occupied him throughout his short-lived career. Through his exacting and unforgiving investigation of the female body, the artist challenges and subverts the conservative veneer of contemporary Viennese society, revealing the latent erotic charge that existed just below its surface. This underlying tension, coupled with Schiele’s incredible command of his media, give these works a timeless quality that account for their enduring desirability and relevance.”
The Legacy of Fritz Grünbaum
Born Franz Friedrich Grünbaum in April 1880, Fritz Grünbaum was a celebrated cabaret performer, writer, actor and outspoken opponent of Nazism, active in Vienna during the early twentieth century. He studied law before turning to performance and cabaret, and enjoyed a highly successful and varied theatrical career, which included performances at the famous Viennese theatre Simpl, as well as roles in several early films. Alongside his work as a performer, Grünbaum held a life-long passion for art, shaped by his father Wilhelm’s activities as a dealer in the city of Brno (Brünn), and he built up a diverse personal collection which ranged from Russian icons and etchings by Old Masters such as Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt, to Post-Impressionist and Modern drawings and watercolors by August Rodin, Camille Pissarro, Paul Signac, Max Liebermann, Käthe Kollwitz, and others.
However, it was compositions by the Viennese avant-garde of the early twentieth century and, in particular, the works of Egon Schiele that captured Grünbaum’s imagination. Over the course of his life, he purchased over 80 works by the artist, spanning the full range of Schiele’s creative output, from delicate pencil portraits and nude studies executed in gouache or watercolor, to striking, melancholic landscapes and mysterious allegorical subjects in oil.
Shortly after the German annexation of Austria in 1938, Grünbaum was arrested by the Gestapo and subsequently interned at Dachau concentration camp in June 1938, where he perished in January of 1941, after having also spent some time incarcerated in Buchenwald. His art collection, which numbered over 400 works at the time of his arrest, was lost following his wife Lilly’s deportation to the Maly Trostenets concentration camp near Minsk in October 1942, where she was murdered soon after her arrival. Frau, das Gesicht verbergend and Frau mit schwarzer Schürze were recently restituted to the Grünbaum family after years spent fighting for their return.
Richard Aronowitz, Christie’s Global Head of Restitution, said: “It is always deeply humbling to come face-to-face with works of art that were once owned by those people who went on to become victims of the Holocaust. These cherished items speak to us of lives lived and lost. Such is the case here with these two fine watercolor compositions by Egon Schiele: they stand as an abiding, unerasable testament to Fritz Grünbaum’s taste as a collector and to Egon Schiele at the height of his artistic powers.”
Christie’s has the largest and most experienced Restitution team of any international auction house, underscoring our responsibility to this field. Located in New York, London, Berlin, Brussels and Vienna, our researchers have a century of combined years of experience. We have made Nazi-era provenance research a hallmark of our expertise.
Images for press use available HERE.
PRESS CONTACT:
Edward Lewine | elewine@christies.com | 212 636 2680
About Christie’s
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Press release: Christie´s and the family of Fritz Grünbaum agree to the sale of two important works by Egon Schiele
German Version below
CHRISTIE’S AND THE FAMILY OF FRITZ GRÜNBAUM AGREE TO THE SALE OF TWO IMPORTANT WORKS BY EGON SCHIELE
Christie’s is honored to announce that the family and heirs of the renowned performer, composer, and art collector Fritz Grünbaum have entrusted Christie’s with the sale of two important works on paper by Egon Schiele, which will be included in Christie’s Evening sale of 20th Century Art in New York this November. These two exceptional watercolors were part of the collection numbering in the hundreds of works that Fritz Grünbaum – said to be the inspiration for Joel Grey’s character in the Broadway musical Cabaret – assembled in Vienna in the first decades of the last century. The collection was lost when the Nazis invaded Austria in the late 1930s, and both Mr. Grünbaum and his wife were sent to concentration camps where they perished. Christie’s and the Grünbaum family hope this sale will offer an opportunity to celebrate the life, art, and genius of Fritz Grünbaum.
Richard Aronowitz, Christie’s Global Head of Restitution, said: “It has been a privilege to work with the Grünbaum heirs and I want to thank them for giving us the opportunity to offer these extraordinary Egon Schiele drawings. We look forward to sharing these works with the world, and to introducing a new generation to Fritz Grünbaum, a renowned performer who was also a renowned collector.”
Raymond J. Dowd, Esq., who is representing the Grünbaum heirs, said: “I want to thank Christie’s for the expertise, professionalism, and personal care they have shown throughout this process. I am confident that we have placed the legacy of Fritz Grünbaum and the trust of his family in the best hands in the business.”
Christie’s has the largest and most experienced Restitution team of any international auction house, underscoring our responsibility to this field. Located in New York, London, Berlin, and Vienna, our researchers have a century of combined years of experience. We have made Nazi-era provenance research a hallmark of our expertise.
CHRISTIE’S UND DIE FAMILIE VON FRITZ GRÜNBAUM VEREINBAREN DEN VERKAUF VON ZWEI WICHTIGEN WERKEN VON EGON SCHIELE
Christie’s freut sich, bekannt geben zu können, dass die Familie und die Erben des berühmten Künstlers, Komponisten und Kunstsammlers Fritz Grünbaum Christie’s mit dem Verkauf von zwei bedeutenden Papierarbeiten von Egon Schiele beauftragt haben, die in der Christie’s Evening Sale of 20th Century Art in New York diesen November angeboten werden. Diese beiden außergewöhnlichen Aquarelle gehörten zu der Hunderte von Werken umfassenden Sammlung, die Fritz Grünbaum – der als Inspiration für die Figur des Joel Grey im Broadway-Musical Cabaret gilt – in den ersten Jahrzehnten des letzten Jahrhunderts in Wien zusammengetragen hatte. Die Sammlung ging verloren, als die Nazis in den späten 1930er Jahren in Österreich einmarschierten, und sowohl Herr Grünbaum als auch seine Frau wurden in Konzentrationslager geschickt, wo sie umkamen. Christie’s und die Familie Grünbaum hoffen, dass dieser Verkauf eine Gelegenheit bietet, das Leben, die Kunst und das Genie von Fritz Grünbaum zu feiern.
Richard Aronowitz, Christie’s Global Head of Restitution, sagte: “Es war ein Privileg, mit den Grünbaum-Erben zusammenzuarbeiten, und ich möchte ihnen dafür danken, dass sie uns die Möglichkeit gegeben haben, diese außergewöhnlichen Egon Schiele-Zeichnungen anzubieten. Wir freuen uns darauf, diese Werke mit der Welt zu teilen und eine neue Generation mit Fritz Grünbaum bekannt zu machen, einem berühmten Künstler, der auch ein renommierter Sammler war.”
Raymond J. Dowd, Esq., der die Grünbaum-Erben vertritt, sagte: “Ich möchte Christie’s für das Fachwissen, die Professionalität und die persönliche Betreuung danken, die sie während dieses Prozesses gezeigt haben. Ich bin zuversichtlich, dass wir das Erbe von Fritz Grünbaum und das Vertrauen seiner Familie in die besten Hände der Branche gelegt haben.”
Christie’s verfügt über das größte und erfahrenste Restitutions-Team aller internationalen Auktionshäuser, was unsere Verantwortung in diesem Bereich unterstreicht. Unsere Forscher in New York, London, Berlin und Wien verfügen zusammen über ein Jahrhundert an Erfahrung. Wir haben die Provenienzforschung in der Nazizeit zu einem Markenzeichen unserer Expertise gemacht.
The View of the Others / Die Meinung der Anderen: Priscilla DeGregory, New York Post
Heirs of Nazi-looted paintings can proceed with auction after legal battle ends
A nearly seven-year-long legal battle over two paintings stolen by the Nazis has finally come to an end after an art dealer lost his bid to appeal, freeing the heirs of the works to put them up for auction.
The artworks, “Woman Hiding her Face” and “Woman in Black Pinafore” by Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele, are expected to go under the hammer at Christie’s in the fall.
Timonthy Reif and David Fraenkel, the owners, sued London-based dealer Richard Nagy in 2015 for the return of the paintings.
They argued that their ancestor, Austrian Holocaust victim Fritz Grunbaum, had been forced to hand over the works — and the rest of his $5 million collection of paintings — to the Nazis.
Grunbaum, a Jewish cabaret performer, was then sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where he was killed in 1941.
His heirs filed suit after learning the Schiele paintings ended up in Nagy’s hands decades later — and that the dealer had put them up for sale at the Park Avenue Armory.
Reif and Fraenkel said they had proof that their ancestor had been forced to sign a document giving up his precious collection. Read more
The View of the Others / Die Meinung der Anderen: Oliver Meier, SRF 2
English Version below
Radio SRF 2 Kultur, Kultur-Aktualität, 30.05.2022, 17:10 Uhr, Oliver Meier
Sammlung Grünbaum Dieses Raubkunst-Urteil setzt die Museen unter Druck
Seit langem wird über die Schiele-Sammlung des jüdischen Kabarettisten Fritz Grünbaum gestritten, der im Konzentrationslager Dachau starb. Nun erhalten die Nachkommen zwei Werke zurück, die in Bern gehandelt wurden. Ein erstaunlicher Entscheid.
UPDATE—New York Court Awards Statutory Prejudgment Interest to Grünbaum Estate’s Heirs
For those who believe that one today is worth two tomorrows, prejudgment interest offers a significant judicial remedy.
In an unprecedented holding on July 12, 2021, the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court, County of
New York, applied the prejudgment rule in favor of the rightful owners of two Egon Schiele paintings. In a case involving
family property, monetary interest can hardly compensate for time spent apart from a cherished heirloom. Still, the
court’s decision could bring heirs at least somewhat closer to recovering for the loss suffered.
German version below
20210813 - UPDATE—New York Court Awards Statutory Prejudgment Interest to Grünbaum Estate’s Heirs HHR Art Law_english20210813 - UPDATE—New York Court Awards Statutory Prejudgment Interest to Grünbaum Estate’s Heirs HHR Art Law_german