Provenance research and restitution

Albin Egger-Lienz and East Tyrol
The collection at the "Museum of the City of Lienz Castle Bruck"
between construction and restitution
(according to Martin Kofler)

The collection at the "Museum of the City of Lienz Castle Bruck"

After the confiscation of two paintings by Egon Schiele from the Rudolf Leopold Foundation as former Jewish property by the authorities in the USA at the end of 1997/beginning of 1998 (one has since returned to Vienna), East Tyrol was soon affected by the aspect of "Nazi art theft".

A circle that temporarily closed with the restitution of Albin Egger-Lienz"s "Dance of Death 1809" in 2006; shortly after the return of five Klimt paintings, including the "Golden Adele", to Maria Altmann by the Republic of Austria after years of struggle.

The first exhibits came into the existing Lienz "Museum Aguntum" before and after the death of the great painter in 1926. A massive enlargement of the collections is to be attributed to the years 1938-1942, when the city acquired Egger-Lienz works from Jewish collectors or through Viennese galleries on the one hand, and on the other hand came into the "enjoyment" of confiscated paintings and drawings through allocations. The Schloss Bruck, purchased and renovated by the city in 1942, was opened in 1943 as the "East Tyrolean Heritage House".

1950-1954 wurden sieben „arisierte“ Gemälde an die früheren jüdischen Besitzer zurückgeben: vier an Bernhard Altmann, zwei an Adolf Hochstim und eines an Camilla Kohn. Während man die Sammlung in der Folgezeit durch Ankäufe und ein Legat (Vermächtnis) erweitern konnte und während große Lokal-Ausstellungen den Bekanntheitsgrad des Malers, des Museums und der Stadt vergrößerten, sind in den letzten Jahren drei weitere Restitutionen in Sachen Egger-Lienz erfolgt, ein Rückgabe-Ansuchen wurde abgelehnt.  Die Stadt hat sich ihrer Geschichte gestellt und die Provenienz von 38 "problematischen" Gemälden und Zeichnungen, die während der NS-Zeit nach Lienz gelangt waren, erforschen lassen.

Restitution of Jewish Cultural Property

- In 2002, Ruth Altmann, daughter-in-law of Viennese Jew Bernhard Altmann who was expelled in 1938, received the oil study of the central figure in "Bergmäher", 1907 back - located in Lienz since 1942, gifted to long-term Mayor Hubert Huber in 1994 upon retirement, handed over by him eight years later without further ado - and had it auctioned at Sotheby"s in London in the same year.
Ölstudie zur Mittelfigur in "Bergmäher", 1907

Oil study of the central figure in "Bergmäher", 1907
Oil on canvas 53.5 x 43 cm

- In 2006, the painting "Totentanz 1809" (5th version, 1921) - purchased in 1938 by the city of Lienz with 5,000 Reichsmark from the "Aryanized" assets of the Jewish owner Melanie Schwarz - returned to the heir, the daughter Herta Fox. After a unanimous decision of the city council under Mayor Johannes Hibler. The auction took place on May 30th at the Dorotheum

Dance of Death 1809, 1921

Dance of Death 1809, 1921
Fifth version
Oil on wood, 129.5 x 151 cm

- In 2008, the sketch "Trommler" 1898/1900 (reverse study of a wounded farmer walking to the left for the painting design "After the Peace Treaty") was restituted to Mrs. Liselotte Wertheim, London (heir of Josefine Hirsch) after a unanimous city council decision and subsequently bought back by the owner.

Drummer, 1898/1900
Drummer, 1898/1900 (rücks.)

Drummer, 1898/1900
Charcoal, 529 x 387 mm
Reverse study of a wounded farmer walking to the left
Farmer for the painting design "After the Peace Treaty"

Provenance research

The Commission for Provenance Research at the Federal Monuments Office in Vienna took on the task in autumn 2002 to review, in accordance with the mandatory research guidelines for the commission"s work, the final report "Collection Albin Egger-Lienz at the Museum Schloss Bruck in Lienz" (June 2002) prepared by Wilfried Kirschl and Martin Kofler and commissioned by the city of Lienz, and to supplement it if necessary through further investigations.

Based on the statement submitted in April 2006, the city of Lienz is now publishing a list of works of unclear origin and requesting information on their provenance and their former owners and successors by inheritance.

    The Lienz City Council voted in the meeting on 16.11.2010 against returning the painting to the rightful heirs of Lothar and Eveline Egger-Möllwald. This decision was confirmed by the Lienz City Council on 12.11.2012 after a new request by the Israelite Community representing the heirs, based on the valid council decision and unchanged records.