The Bavarian State Painting Collections have returned four works from their holdings to their rightful owners. This restitution is based on the results of provenance research, which is anchored in the newly founded Bavarian State Museum Agency. The restitutions are related to the systematic processing of acquisitions from the National Socialist era.
The Bavarian State Painting Collections have returned four works from their holdings to their rightful owners. This restitution is based on the results of provenance research, which is anchored in the newly founded Bavarian State Museum Agency. The restitutions are related to the systematic processing of acquisitions from the National Socialist era.
According to the announcement, the restitution concerns the paintings “Lot and his Daughters” and “Abraham Entertains the Three Angels” by Franz Sigrist the Elder, “At the Inn Table” by Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann and “St. Anne the Third” from the circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder. A further work, “Young Girl with a Straw Hat” by Friedrich von Amerling, will be submitted to the Arbitration Tribunal for Nazi-looted Art for a decision. This is intended to provide independent clarification in a complex case.
In connection with the restitutions, Art Minister Markus Blume emphasized the importance of coming to terms with Nazi injustice and the goal of transparency and speed in provenance research. He said: “With the restitution of these four works, we cannot heal the cruel injustice against the owners. But we can make an attempt to make amends to the victims and set an example: We are working intensively on coming to terms with Nazi injustice – since this spring with more speed, more transparency and more results.” The new director of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, Anton Biebl, emphasized that the institution attaches great importance to comprehensible decisions in accordance with international standards. In addition, the arbitration tribunal in the Amerling case should involve an independent body.
Two of the restituted works by Franz Sigrist the Elder were returned to the heirs of the former Munich art dealership, the Lion Brothers. These works entered the holdings of the Staatsgemäldesammlungen in 1936, shortly before the gallery was forced to close under pressure from the National Socialist authorities. The Lion Brothers art dealership, founded in 1888, was one of Munich’s leading galleries in the 1920s. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, business activities were gradually restricted until the gallery was closed in 1936.
The painting “Am Wirtshaustisch” by Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann was restituted after proactive research. It was owned by the Munich art dealer Bertold Jochsberger, who lost his property as a result of Nazi persecution. Even though it has not been possible to clearly reconstruct all the stages of ownership, it was decided to restitute it.
The work “Hl. Anna Selbdritt” from the circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder was found to be a so-called flight property case. The bank director Ernst Magnus, who was persecuted as a Jew, sold the painting in Switzerland to finance his family’s escape. The restitution was made in accordance with the valuation framework adopted in 2024, which takes greater account of such cases.
In the case of the Amerling painting “Young Girl with a Straw Hat”, different assessments could not be resolved. The State Painting Collections assume a lawful acquisition, while the applicants assume a loss due to persecution. The final decision is therefore to be made by the Arbitration Tribunal for Nazi-looted Art, which is to ensure an independent assessment. Minister Blume commented on the arbitration proceedings as follows: “The establishment of an arbitration tribunal before the end of this year will further advance the reappraisal and ensure a legally secure and fair conclusion to disputed cases. Bavaria has campaigned vehemently for the introduction of arbitration and will of course submit such cases to this body if the other parties involved agree.”
Provenance research has been part of the Bavarian State Museum Agency since July 2025. The task of this research is to systematically investigate the provenance histories, particularly with regard to acquisitions from the Nazi era. In the case of the Lion Brothers art dealership, reconstruction proved particularly difficult due to a lack of documentation. Nevertheless, intensive research has created a basis for restitution. In addition, the Staatsgemäldesammlungen and the Museumsagentur are preparing the restitution of a further eight works.
The current restitutions are presented by the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen as part of a long-term strategy based on transparency, international standards and a scientific foundation. The restitutions to the heirs of the Lion Brothers art dealership, to the descendants of Bertold Jochsberger and to the heirs of Ernst Magnus take into account different case constellations – from forced business closure to persecution-related loss to fugitive property. The restitution of the four paintings and the forthcoming decision of the arbitration tribunal in the Amerling case illustrate the role of provenance research as a key instrument in coming to terms with the past.
Read more: Gilbert Lupfer, Director of the German Lost Art Foundation on the work of the foundation.
