[MSN] Munch painting stolen by Nazis is returned to Mahler heir

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Munch painting stolen by Nazis is returned to Mahler heir
 
Vienna (dpa) - Austria Wednesday returned Edvard Munch's "Summer Night 
at the Beach" to Marina Fistoulari-Mahler, granddaughter and sole heir 
of Alma Mahler, wife of Austrian composer Gustav Mahler.
 
After more than five decades of legal disputes a panel had ruled in 
November 2006 that the painting, on display at Vienna's Belvedere 
Gallery, was to be returned.

Fistoulari-Mahler, Claudia Schmid, Austria's minister in charge of art 
and culture and Belvedere director Agnes Husslein signed the restitution 
documents in the palace's main hall on Wednesday morning.

"I am deeply moved," Fistoulari-Mahler said when the painting was handed 
over. "I thank Austria for the courage to accept that the painting had 
to be returned."

Minister Schmid stressed her support for the decision, already made 
under the previous conservative government, and said she would continue 
to look into other cases.

"We will investigate all cases, where there is suspicion of illegal 
activities and want to help Nazi victims to get their rights."

In 1937 Alma Mahler-Werfel, by then married to writer Franz Werfel, 
agreed to loan the painting to the Belvedere Gallery for two years.

In March 1938, after Hitler's annexation of Austria, she was forced to 
flee the country with her Jewish husband.

Meanwhile the gallery attempted to buy the painting from her. She 
refused, but in 1940 Alma's step father, Nazi supporter Carl Moll, sold 
the painting to the Belvedere in the name of Alma's half-sister.

After the end of World War II in 1945, Alma demanded the painting's 
return, and in 1953 a commission ruled that her demands were justified.

Several Austrian authorities however challenged the ruling, and as late 
as 1999 a restitution panel rejected claims by the Mahler family.

Experts estimate the painting's worth to be between 8 and 10 million 
dollars.

In 2006 Austria returned five paintings by Gustav Klimt, also from the 
Belvedere, to the heirs of Adele Bloch-Bauer.

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