in a museum filled with treasures a masterpiece stands out a prized work by
masterpiece stands out a prized work by
masterpiece stands out a prized work by the French impressionist Camille
the French impressionist Camille
the French impressionist Camille Pissarro a rainy afternoon in Paris
Pissarro a rainy afternoon in Paris
Pissarro a rainy afternoon in Paris years ago it hung in a family living
years ago it hung in a family living
years ago it hung in a family living room until the Nazis sent an envoy and
room until the Nazis sent an envoy and
room until the Nazis sent an envoy and removed it was my painting there’s no
removed it was my painting there’s no
removed it was my painting there’s no question about it Claude casera was born
question about it Claude casera was born
question about it Claude casera was born in 1921 into a prominent Jewish family
in 1921 into a prominent Jewish family
in 1921 into a prominent Jewish family in Germany the painting once belonged to
in Germany the painting once belonged to
in Germany the painting once belonged to his grandmother my mother had died in my
his grandmother my mother had died in my
his grandmother my mother had died in my grandmother was like a substitute mother
grandmother was like a substitute mother
grandmother was like a substitute mother to me and she lived in an apartment was
to me and she lived in an apartment was
to me and she lived in an apartment was well in the corner from where we were
well in the corner from where we were
well in the corner from where we were living in above the couch was this
living in above the couch was this
living in above the couch was this painting in this Pissarro painting and
painting in this Pissarro painting and
painting in this Pissarro painting and that is part of my life that’s how I was
that is part of my life that’s how I was
that is part of my life that’s how I was brought up the caceres lived a life of
brought up the caceres lived a life of
brought up the caceres lived a life of privilege until the Nazis came to power
privilege until the Nazis came to power
privilege until the Nazis came to power and persecution of Jews in Germany
and persecution of Jews in Germany
and persecution of Jews in Germany intensified fearing for their safety
intensified fearing for their safety
intensified fearing for their safety clods grandmother and her husband Otto
clods grandmother and her husband Otto
clods grandmother and her husband Otto nguoi Bauer petitioned the German
nguoi Bauer petitioned the German
nguoi Bauer petitioned the German government for an exit visa in response
government for an exit visa in response
government for an exit visa in response the Nazis sent an appraiser to evaluate
the Nazis sent an appraiser to evaluate
the Nazis sent an appraiser to evaluate their property he came to my
their property he came to my
their property he came to my grandmother’s apartment in Munich and he
grandmother’s apartment in Munich and he
grandmother’s apartment in Munich and he said my grandparents could leave Germany
said my grandparents could leave Germany
said my grandparents could leave Germany but they would not allow to take the
but they would not allow to take the
but they would not allow to take the Pissarro painting with him they made it
Pissarro painting with him they made it
Pissarro painting with him they made it very very clear then this was not a
very very clear then this was not a
very very clear then this was not a matter of choice that if my grandparents
matter of choice that if my grandparents
matter of choice that if my grandparents wouldn’t agree to this transaction he
wouldn’t agree to this transaction he
wouldn’t agree to this transaction he would end up in da hah one of the worst
would end up in da hah one of the worst
would end up in da hah one of the worst concentration camps near Munich when
concentration camps near Munich when
concentration camps near Munich when World War two ended the grotesque
World War two ended the grotesque
World War two ended the grotesque realities of Nazi war crimes were
realities of Nazi war crimes were
realities of Nazi war crimes were exposed
exposed
exposed and proof of systematic plunder and
and proof of systematic plunder and
and proof of systematic plunder and cultural artifacts was revealed hundreds
cultural artifacts was revealed hundreds
cultural artifacts was revealed hundreds of thousands of paintings sculptures and
of thousands of paintings sculptures and
of thousands of paintings sculptures and jewels had been taken from churches
jewels had been taken from churches
jewels had been taken from churches museums and private homes across the
museums and private homes across the
museums and private homes across the continent Claude kassir and his
continent Claude kassir and his
continent Claude kassir and his grandmother both escaped but their
grandmother both escaped but their
grandmother both escaped but their family heirloom remain missing until
family heirloom remain missing until
family heirloom remain missing until more than 60 years later Claude saw
more than 60 years later Claude saw
more than 60 years later Claude saw photo of the painting hanging in a
photo of the painting hanging in a
photo of the painting hanging in a museum in Spain I could hardly believe
museum in Spain I could hardly believe
museum in Spain I could hardly believe it I could hardly believe it there was
it I could hardly believe it there was
it I could hardly believe it there was such a coincidence in such America the
such a coincidence in such America the
such a coincidence in such America the painting had changed hands at least five
painting had changed hands at least five
painting had changed hands at least five times in three countries over a 50-year
times in three countries over a 50-year
times in three countries over a 50-year period before it was purchased by one of
period before it was purchased by one of
period before it was purchased by one of the world’s wealthiest art collectors
the world’s wealthiest art collectors
the world’s wealthiest art collectors Baron Hynek fun thiessen born a misa in
Baron Hynek fun thiessen born a misa in
Baron Hynek fun thiessen born a misa in 1993 the Baron sold his collection in a
1993 the Baron sold his collection in a
1993 the Baron sold his collection in a joint arrangement with the kingdom of
joint arrangement with the kingdom of
joint arrangement with the kingdom of Spain and a foundation museum that now
Spain and a foundation museum that now
Spain and a foundation museum that now bears his name for Guan kassir seeing
bears his name for Guan kassir seeing
bears his name for Guan kassir seeing the painting that day was a glimpse into
the painting that day was a glimpse into
the painting that day was a glimpse into a boyhood long past
a boyhood long past
a boyhood long past where the painting was my grandmother’s
where the painting was my grandmother’s
where the painting was my grandmother’s love how she spoiled me how she fed me
love how she spoiled me how she fed me
love how she spoiled me how she fed me how she went on excursions with me how
how she went on excursions with me how
how she went on excursions with me how she helped educate me all this is
she helped educate me all this is
she helped educate me all this is interrelated consumer filed suit against
interrelated consumer filed suit against
interrelated consumer filed suit against the Thistle borna mesa museum and its
the Thistle borna mesa museum and its
the Thistle borna mesa museum and its host country the kingdom of Spain
host country the kingdom of Spain
host country the kingdom of Spain representatives of the Spanish
representatives of the Spanish
representatives of the Spanish government and officials of the
government and officials of the
government and officials of the thyssen-bornemisza declined interview
thyssen-bornemisza declined interview
thyssen-bornemisza declined interview requests for this story in a written
requests for this story in a written
requests for this story in a written statement the museum asserts that it’s
statement the museum asserts that it’s
statement the museum asserts that it’s the legitimate owner of the work and
the legitimate owner of the work and
the legitimate owner of the work and that mr. casseras request has no legal
that mr. casseras request has no legal
that mr. casseras request has no legal foundation under Spanish law further the
foundation under Spanish law further the
foundation under Spanish law further the museum contends that the Kucera family
museum contends that the Kucera family
museum contends that the Kucera family was duly compensated for their loss by
was duly compensated for their loss by
was duly compensated for their loss by the german government in 1958 claude
the german government in 1958 claude
the german government in 1958 claude accepts that his family received 13
accepts that his family received 13
accepts that his family received 13 thousand dollars but even that he had to
thousand dollars but even that he had to
thousand dollars but even that he had to split with another claimant for some
split with another claimant for some
split with another claimant for some crazy reason which I never understood we
crazy reason which I never understood we
crazy reason which I never understood we had to give part of the money to the guy
had to give part of the money to the guy
had to give part of the money to the guy who stole the painting why I don’t
who stole the painting why I don’t
who stole the painting why I don’t understand today the paintings value is
understand today the paintings value is
understand today the paintings value is estimated at twenty million dollars but
estimated at twenty million dollars but
estimated at twenty million dollars but Claude insists there’s much more to this
Claude insists there’s much more to this
Claude insists there’s much more to this case than money I would be a fool to say
case than money I would be a fool to say
case than money I would be a fool to say that money is of no
that money is of no
that money is of no concerned but why should they have some
concerned but why should they have some
concerned but why should they have some in this for five or 10 or 15 20 40 50 or
in this for five or 10 or 15 20 40 50 or
in this for five or 10 or 15 20 40 50 or 60 million when it doesn’t belong to
60 million when it doesn’t belong to
60 million when it doesn’t belong to them and it’s a simpler thing any legal
them and it’s a simpler thing any legal
them and it’s a simpler thing any legal experts expect kassir will face
experts expect kassir will face
experts expect kassir will face considerable challenges in court
considerable challenges in court
considerable challenges in court generally the more an object changes
generally the more an object changes
generally the more an object changes hands the more difficult the case will
hands the more difficult the case will
hands the more difficult the case will be you cannot keep stolen goods the
be you cannot keep stolen goods the
be you cannot keep stolen goods the defendant museum puts the plaintiff to
defendant museum puts the plaintiff to
defendant museum puts the plaintiff to the food prove to me that you own the
the food prove to me that you own the
the food prove to me that you own the object prove to me and the stone case
object prove to me and the stone case
object prove to me and the stone case has been tied up on jurisdictional
has been tied up on jurisdictional
has been tied up on jurisdictional issues at these prove that you have the
issues at these prove that you have the
issues at these prove that you have the right to call me from Spain into court
right to call me from Spain into court
right to call me from Spain into court in the United States that that’s just
in the United States that that’s just
in the United States that that’s just and fair and equitable you know what I
and fair and equitable you know what I
and fair and equitable you know what I would say to them if there’s any
would say to them if there’s any
would say to them if there’s any question of in their mind League
question of in their mind League
question of in their mind League illegally there should be no question of
illegally there should be no question of
illegally there should be no question of their mind morally the point at which
their mind morally the point at which
their mind morally the point at which law ends a morality begins is often very
law ends a morality begins is often very
law ends a morality begins is often very hard to find the museum has to make a
hard to find the museum has to make a
hard to find the museum has to make a legal moral and ethical judgment about
legal moral and ethical judgment about
legal moral and ethical judgment about what it should do I never give up and
what it should do I never give up and
what it should do I never give up and we’re never going to give up above the
we’re never going to give up above the
we’re never going to give up above the pits are cases like the ownership of
pits are cases like the ownership of
pits are cases like the ownership of this impressionist masterpiece are
this impressionist masterpiece are
this impressionist masterpiece are forcing the legal community to
forcing the legal community to
forcing the legal community to reevaluate the intersection of property
reevaluate the intersection of property
reevaluate the intersection of property law and morality a single artwork has
law and morality a single artwork has
law and morality a single artwork has traveled through the years from a living
traveled through the years from a living
traveled through the years from a living room and Nazi Germany over oceans and
room and Nazi Germany over oceans and
room and Nazi Germany over oceans and back it’s a journey that represents both
back it’s a journey that represents both
back it’s a journey that represents both the best and worst of our humanity as
the best and worst of our humanity as
the best and worst of our humanity as society wrestles with the
society wrestles with the
society wrestles with the math of war
”
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