The court decided to return the heir to the former owner of a collection of posters for the 4.5 million euros
ARTinvestment.RU   16 марта 2012

The heir to the Jewish dentist Hans Sachs got his: German court ruled that the Berlin Historical Museum should return it to the restitution of 4259 posters from the collection of his father

multi-year legal battle between the heir of a Jewish dentist Hans Sachs (Hans Sachs ) and the German Historical Museum in Berlin because of the thousands of rare posters was resolved in favor of the heir. Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe, which is Germany's highest court in all civil cases, annulled the previous verdict of the Court of Appeal in January 2010 and held that the 4259 poster must be returned to the retired pilot from Sarasota (Florida), Peter Sachs. collection of rare posters, exhibitions, films, cabaret, as well as promotional and advertising posters valued at 4.5 million euros ($ 5.9 million).

Peter Sachs was fighting for the return of posters of her father for many years: his first action the German government rejected in 2007, In January 2009, it nevertheless recognized the rightful owner , but in January 2010, the Court of Appeal annulled the earlier decision, saying that the posters belong to Sachs, but demand restitution, he can not . And, finally, the decisive turning point of this litigation, the heir receives it.

«I can not tell you what it means for me personally - said the winner in a restorative dispute. - It's like revenge for his father, the ultimate recognition of the life [which he spent on the creation of the collection] that he had lost and never got back ».

dentist Hans Sachs Jewish origin for more than forty years of collecting posters of exhibitions, films, cabaret, as well as promotional posters advertising various products. His collection numbering 12 and a half thousands of rare books at one time considered the largest in the world. It included works by such authors as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec), Jules Cheret (Jules Chéret), Holvayn Ludwig (Ludwig Hohlwein ) and Lucien Bernhard (Lucian Bernhard). Hans Sachs founded a magazine called Das Plakat, arranged exhibitions and lectured.

In 1938, a collector, was arrested together with his family and sent to concentration camp. son Peter was then just a year. Fortunately, Sachs managed to make the UK visa and run through that country to America.

collection of posters fell into the hands of Goebbels. Sachs Sr. until his Death tried unsuccessfully to find her. Assuming it was destroyed, Hans Sachs in 1961, received from the Government of Germany compensation of 225 thousand German marks ($ 50 thousand for the then exchange rate).

Ministry of Culture of the German fears that the decision of the case on posters Sachs in favor of the heir could lead to an increase in the number of such claims by the heirs of former owners of works of art, which once received monetary compensation, but has not yet returned the property, at one time belonged to their loved ones.

Prepared by Mary Onuchina, AI

Sources : artinvestment.ru