Vienna Jewish Museum Chided Over Nazi Loot

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Patrick Cohen

Replying to criticism, Danielle Spera of the Jewish Museum of Vienna,
said, “Our situation is not comparable to any other museum in Austria.”

AUSTRIA---When the Jewish Museum of Vienna was founded in 1988 it was entrusted with safeguarding the art, books and Judaica that survived the Nazis’ attempt to exterminate their owners. But now, 25 years later, the museum has acknowledged it may be in possession of hundreds of items that were looted during the war and not returned to the families who lost them. A screening of its collection has so far revealed 490 objects and more than 980 books that curators suspect might have been taken from Jews, including a dozen paintings by the artist Jehudo Epstein. There is hardly a public collection in the world that has not been condemned for dragging its feet on the issue of returning valuables plundered by the Germans. [link]