Czech heirs are claiming that they are rightful beneficiaries of a valuable collection of art that originally belonged to a Jewish cabaret artist who was killed during the Holocaust. They allege that Christie’s auction house is aware of the current location and ownership of these pieces.
Milos Vavra, an heir of Franz Friedrich “Fritz” Gruenbaum, addressed the Manhattan Supreme Court, requesting that judges compel Christie’s to disclose information regarding the artwork.
Prior to his death in the Dachau concentration camp in January 1941, Grünbaum, at the age of 60, was coerced by the Nazis into signing a document that allowed his wife to manage his assets.
According to Vavra’s court documents, the Nazis seized Grünbaum’s art collection, which included significant works by the Austrian Impressionist Egon Schiele.
The lawsuit mentions that Schiele’s artworks are viewed as particularly suspicious within the art world.
Interestingly, Christie’s has previously auctioned off six pieces from the Grünbaum collection, with most selling for around $1 million, as indicated in the court filings.
In July, the auction house informed Vavra and another heir that a Swiss family had committed to selling three Schiele paintings, a claim Vavra reiterated in his submission.
In an email cited in the court documents, it was noted that Christie’s experts regarded these three works as potentially among the finest Schiele pieces they’ve encountered.
It’s significant to mention that Schiele’s art was largely unknown outside of Austria before the Nazis’ occupation in 1938.
Vavra argued that the artwork is considered a “red flag” for post-World War II collections, stressing the importance of confirming its provenance before any sale or collection.
He is seeking a ruling that would require Christie’s to turn over all records related to the Grünbaum collection, including sales data, valuations, expert assessments, and any communication regarding the artworks.
In response, Christie’s stated that they are committed to adhering to legal standards, ethical reparations, and principles that aid in resolving the complex histories tied to art from the war era.
