Nazi cache of stolen art worth over 1 billion found in Germany in squalid apartment

[talisman]

Surprised this hasn't been post yet. Incredible story.

Full story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2486251/1bn-haul-art-Picasso-Renoir-Matisse-squalid-Munich-flat.html

Cliffnotes:

£1bn haul of art treasures seized by Nazis found in squalid Munich flat: 1,500 works by masters such as Picasso, Renoir and Matisse hidden behind tins of noodles, fruit and beans

More than 1,500 paintings found including pieces by Picasso and Matisse

Collector Hildebrandt Gurlitt ordered for them to be destroyed in 1945

But in a routine search on a train from Switzerland to Germany, his son was caught with 9,000 euros cash earned from an illicit art deal

Officials searched his small rented apartment in Munich and found the art
Experts claim most were acquired from Jews in exchange for escape

[93LXHORSE]

I started reading a book about some of the crazy stuff the Nazis did back in Hitler's regime, but I don't recall if it was fiction or not - it had to do more with artifacts that were being excavated from a dig site - a cup of some kind... but whoever the main character was (German) was being tasked by Hitler to round up as much art and archeological finds as possible to stash them, sell them, etc....

But then I got released and didn't get to finish the book. LOL

I know, great post, right? I was just trying to help your thread along, Eric!

[Sean88gt]

I guess we know how the Monuments Men ends...

[68RR]

There's a pretty impressive list of art objects looted by the Nazi's from personal estates and museums during WW2 and still missing. The Jewish Unit that searches for Nazi's and their loot are in close contact with all major Art Houses and Museums to foil sales of those artifacts, but "underground" purchases still happen.

[4king]

I started reading a book about some of the crazy stuff the Nazis did back in Hitler's regime, but I don't recall if it was fiction or not - it had to do more with artifacts that were being excavated from a dig site - a cup of some kind... but whoever the main character was (German) was being tasked by Hitler to round up as much art and archeological finds as possible to stash them, sell them, etc....

But then I got released and didn't get to finish the book. LOL

I know, great post, right? I was just trying to help your thread along, Eric!

Did the main character escape being crushed by a boulder

[46Tbird]

A bunch of that stuff went to Central and South America when a bunch of the mid-level Nazis went there to escape prosecution.

[93LXHORSE]

A bunch of that stuff went to Central and South America when a bunch of the mid-level Nazis went there to escape prosecution.

Exactly what my book was about ! Some kind of treasured goblet buried in an old city of ruins in Central America I believe.

[talisman]

Exactly what my book was about ! Some kind of treasured goblet buried in an old city of ruins in Central America I believe.

You sure you weren't watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

[CJ-95GT]

You sure you weren't watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

LOL!!! Amazing find. I have to assume that true art collectors knew the art wasn't lost and was available on the black market. If so, how does someone keep this a secret for so long?

[talisman]

LOL!!! Amazing find. I have to assume that true art collectors knew the art wasn't lost and was available on the black market. If so, how does someone keep this a secret for so long?

In this case, they actually thought most of it was lost in the fire bombing of Dresden. If you aren't familiar with that, do some reading on it. Pretty crazy shit. Kurt Vonnegut was a POW on the ground in Dresden when it went up in flames, and that was his inspiration to write Slaughterhouse 5.