Nazi loot returned to Poland

A ceremony was held by the Polish Ministry today to mark the return of ‘Rough sea with ships’ by Simon de Vlieger.

LONDON.- An important work by Simon de Vlieger, stolen by the Nazis, is returned to Poland after being identified and located by the Art Loss Register A ceremony was held by the Polish Ministry today to mark the return of ‘Rough sea with ships’ by Simon de Vlieger. The work was stolen during the Warsaw uprising by the head of the Polish propaganda department, Wilhelm Ohlenbusch, and taken to Oldenburg near Hamburg.

After the war, Vlieger's picture was considered a war loss and published in 1953 in an English catalogue, Paintings Removed from Poland by the German Occupation Authorities During the Years 1939-1945. The work was also recorded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in a database of cultural property lost during World War II. The work was also recorded in the Interpol database of stolen works of art and published in 2000 in the book War Losses. The fate of the work remained unknown until May 2016, when the Art Loss Register sent a request for information to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for a lot that was going up for sale at a German auction house. Based on the documentation provided by the ministry, the object was withdrawn from the auction.

The identity of the work was confirmed when it was compared with pre-war photographs and during non-invasive conservation studies of the canvas. After half a year negotiations with the current owner, the Polish Ministry and the ALR have managed to come to an amicable settlement of the matter and bring about the return of the work to Poland.

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