For most...it is too late!

This trove of artwork in the hands of Cornelius Gurlitt is a great find, but for most of those who left behind their artwork, and all those whose lives were lost, this revelation is painful.

Lugano (Switzerland)

I had friends who spent most of the post War years living in Lugano so that they could overlook Germany.  Neither stepped foot in their country of birth again.  They were among the affluent and fortunate to have escaped with their lives and with a consideration portion of their wealth but not their art collection.  I visited them in 1967 and although this part of Switzerland is breathtaking, it was also heart stopping to realize the pain that Tamara & Gerald felt in their retirement years.

Gurlitt house

I also know a little of the Hanau family story and it remains clear that no restitution is possible for a family who had a town named after them but did not fully survive the war.  The father escaped Franfort with some cash, leaving his wife and two children behind believing they were safe.  Safe is a relevant term and his wife and two children suffered greatly with their mixed religious status, hiding and then leaving for Israel.  The father was caught in southern France, interned, concentrated and exterminated.

Work by Otto Dix of Glazer Family

The Hanau family had a large art collection, but no relatives with knowledge of the art work are alive to claim them. 

Who will directly or indirectly benefit from the collection 70 years later, 70 years I consider too late.