Prosecutors launch probe into Argentina couple over Nazi-looted painting

Authorities successful Argentina person opened a transgression probe into the girl of a erstwhile Nazi authoritative and her spouse aft an 18th-century coating stolen from a precocious Jewish creation trader was recovered from 1 of their properties.

Prosecutors announced the probe connected Thursday, which volition absorption connected Juan Carlos Cortegoso and his woman Patricia Kadgien, whose begetter was the fugitive Nazi serviceman Friedrich Kadgien.

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The elder Kadgien died successful the precocious 1970s. He spent the last decades of his beingness successful Argentina, having fled Germany astatine the extremity of World War II.

He is believed to person brought with him priceless artworks looted from the collections of Jewish families and businesses, including that of the Dutch creation trader Jacques Goudstikker.

Goudstikker had amassed a postulation of astir 1,400 pieces, according to the meticulous records helium kept.

But that made his postulation a people for Nazi officials similar Hermann Goring, who sought to prehend the artwork for himself. The elder Kadgien was Goring’s fiscal adviser.

It is unclear however Kadgien came to ain Portrait of a Lady by Giuseppe Ghislandi, an Italian portraitist prolific during the Baroque and Rococo periods.

The painting, a ample representation of the Contessa Colleoni holding gloves and a book, had not been seen successful decades. As acold arsenic researchers knew, lone black-and-white photographs of the artwork survived.

Goudstikker had been forced to merchantability galore of his artworks to Nazi officials arsenic the Holocaust unfolded successful Europe.

In May 1940, the creation trader would yet dice from a autumn connected committee the SS Bodegraven, arsenic helium fled a genocide that would assertion astatine slightest six cardinal Jewish lives, arsenic good arsenic millions of prisoners-of-war, dissidents, LGBTQ radical and those with disabilities.

Goudstikker’s heirs person been seeking to retrieve his postulation ever since.

Prosecutors show Giuseppe Ghislandi’s 18th-century coating Portrait of a Lady astatine a quality league successful Mar del Plata, Argentina, connected September 3 [Christian Heit/AP Photo]

Thought lost, Portrait of a Lady reappeared abruptly past month, arsenic the effect of net sleuthing.

Dutch journalists with the work Algemeen Dagblad had been investigating the precocious Kadgien’s dealings with the Nazis, and they stumbled crossed a existent property listing from February for a location belonging to his daughter, Patricia Kadgien.

A representation successful the listing showed Portrait of a Lady hanging supra a greenish velvet couch.

The journalists published their findings connected August 25, and soon after, constabulary successful Argentina raided the residence, which was located successful the coastal metropolis of Mar del Plata.

But the coating was obscurity to beryllium found. Instead, authorities reported they had recovered different paintings, this clip from the 19th century, that they suspected whitethorn besides beryllium Nazi-looted artwork.

A tapestry was recovered hanging wherever Portrait of a Lady was erstwhile photographed. The existent property listing, meanwhile, appeared to person been removed.

Police person since raided respective properties belonging to Patricia Kadgien and her sister. On Wednesday, it was announced that the coating had yet been recovered.

Juan Carlos Cortegoso, hubby of Patricia Kadgien, attends a proceeding connected September 4 [Jose Scalzo/Reuters]

But successful Thursday’s hearing, national authorities revealed they were charging Kadgien, 59, and her husband, Cortegoso, 62, with attempting a cover-up.

Prosecutor Carlos Martinez accused the mates of hiding the painting, contempt being “aware that the artwork was being sought by the transgression justness strategy and planetary authorities”. That, helium said, amounted to obstruction of justness and concealment.

“It was lone aft respective constabulary raids that they turned it in,” Martinez explained.

Patricia Kadgien and Cortegoso were concisely enactment nether location apprehension connected Monday, though that was lifted successful favour of a 180-day question prohibition and a request that they question tribunal support earlier leaving the house.

A lawyer for the mates reportedly asked a civilian tribunal this week to let them to merchantability the painting, but that petition was denied.

Martinez, meanwhile, told journalists connected Thursday that Marei von Saher, 1 of Goudstikker’s heirs, had already reached retired to the Federal Bureau of Investigation successful the United States to guarantee the painting’s restitution.

He explained that prosecutors had requested Portrait of a Lady beryllium held astatine the Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum for now.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies