In a dramatic operation, German authorities have seized a multi-million-pound masterpiece from the home of an elderly woman, the heiress to a Nazi fortune. The painting, lost to its Jewish owner in the dark days of the 1930s, had been hanging in plain sight for years.
The Raid: A Painting Uncovered
Officers descended upon the Munich apartment of 82-year-old Helga Hengge, the daughter of a prominent Nazi politician and businessman. Their target: a vibrant 1915 Expressionist work by Heinrich Campendonk, entitled 'Rotes Bild mit Pferden' (Red Picture with Horses). Valued in the millions, the painting was swiftly confiscated as part of an ongoing investigation into looted art.
A Dark History: Forced Sale Under the Nazi Regime
The artwork's history is steeped in tragedy. It was originally owned by Jewish dermatologist and art collector, Dr. Alfred Feldheim. In a forced sale under the oppressive Nazi regime in 1939, the painting was sold for a pittance to Ms. Hengge's father, Hans Frank. Frank was a close confidant of Adolf Hitler and a key figure in the Nazi administration in occupied Poland, later executed for war crimes.
This transaction, made under duress, is legally void, rendering the painting stolen property. For decades, it remained with the Frank family, a stark reminder of a crime that was never rectified.
The Heiress's Shock: 'It Was Always on the Wall'
Helga Hengge expressed utter shock at the seizure, claiming she was entirely unaware of the painting's illicit provenance. She insisted the work had simply been part of her father's collection, hanging on her wall for over half a century without question.
"The picture was just always there," she stated, bewildered by the police action that stripped her home of the contentious piece of art history.
The Long Road to Restitution
The recovery is a significant victory for organisations dedicated to returning art looted by the Nazis to the heirs of its original owners. The case highlights the persistent global effort to address the cultural plunder of one of history's darkest chapters.
Authorities have now placed the painting into secure storage as they work to trace the rightful heirs of Dr. Feldheim, finally offering a chance for justice, eight decades later.
