Monday, November 4, 2013

The 1 billion Euro art chache

The media are buzzing with news about the cache of some 1500 works of art discovered by police in Munich, Germany.

For reports of the story, here are two links, one to The Independent for English, another to Focus for a German account.

Our initial reaction was Whiskey Foxtrot Tango?

Our second reaction was, Munich, no surprise there, given history.

Beyond these, we are having many questions. The find was made in the spring of 2011, so what happened in those more than two years?

If, as everybody claims, time is of the essence in making things right, why do two and a half years pass before we hear of the find?

The reports say an expert is working through the cache. Does this mean one person, a single individual?

How did this big cache stay hidden since the end of World War II? Sure, the man was living under the radar of the authorities, they say. But in a big house in Munich? Someone at least paid property taxes on the building, and - trust us - the German authorities do not joke when it comes to that.

There have been complaints for decades about the glacial pace of returning property to victims of the Nazi era, and the 1500 art works could be said to fit that narrative. On the other hand, when a country comes crashing down the way Germany did, the confusion is probably inconceivable to us post war to millennial babies.

The happy 'better late than never' might mask unease, or it might indicate something less encouraging.

Our simplistic view of the world would call for putting each and every single item up on a web page. Yes, you'd receive a flood of responses. No, you have no right to complain.

Sadly, we are not optimistic and feel that many of the works will end up back in possession of the old man.

[Update  5 Nov.] German media are now starting to ask questions. Well, well.

[Update 12 Nov.] The first 25 artworks are on the web, and there now is a taskforce investigating the provenance. That didn't hurt one bit, now, did it?

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