Owner of apartment where Nazi art hoard was recovered speaks out, wants art back

Cornelius Gurlitt, the owner of the apartment that German officials found over 1,400 pieces of art believed stolen by the Nazis, has finally spoken out and he said he wants the art back.

In an interview with the German newspaper Der Spiegel, the 80-year-old recalled how agents came into his Munich apartment in February 2012, taking four days to wrap up all 1,406 pieces of art they found. He called their visits “gruesome” and “horrible.” Although the raid took place over a year ago, it wasn’t until the German magazine Focus reported on the raid two weeks ago. Since then, media from around the world has been camped outside his apartment, but he remained quiet until talking with Der Spiegel on Sunday.

According to the BBC, Gurlitt’s father, Hildebrand, was an art dealer who sold art acquired by the Nazis. However, he built up the collection by keeping many of these paintings for his own collection. Gurlitt claims that his father got the pieces “legally” and that he won’t give up the art without a fight. “I'm giving nothing up voluntarily,” he said when asked if he would give them back to the original owners.

Gurlitt also said that authorities have created an incorrect image of him in the media. He believes that he has given them evidence to prove that he is innocent of any crime. The AP reports that investigators are still looking into the possibility of tax offences linked to the works.

He also admitted to selling some of the pieces for money before authorities discovered them.

German officials had been reluctant to talk about the art find, even after Focus published its report. They finally came forward with details earlier this month. Some of the paintings are previously unknown works by masters like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall and Auguste Renoir.

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