Wiesenthal Centre demands Christie’s stop auctioning ‘Nazi aryanised collections’

The Wiesenthal Centre is demanding that British auction house Christie’s withdraw an auction named “World of Heidi Horten: Magnificent Jewels,” due to Horten profiting from Nazi “aryanisation” of Jewish department stores.

Heidi Horten was married to Helmut Horten, who worked in a department store during the rise of the Nazi regime in 1933.

Helmut profited from “aryanisation laws. In 1937, Horten strengthened his relationship with the Hitler’s regime, when he joined the Nazi party.

He also obtained a Jewish business in the Netherlands after they were deported by the Nazis. When a post-war survivor sued to get his property back, he lost the case against Helmut in front of German judges who had allegedly been former Nazis.

Helmut died in Switzerland in 1987, leaving his fortune to his wife who died last year.

Wiesenthal Centre demanded that the auction taking place in Geneva between 3-15 of May be cancelled “or else to make exhaustive catalogues available to the greater public – through all media outlets – of the present Horten sale, as well as all upcoming sales of jewellery, musical instruments, books, silverware or other artwork that could be the fruit of ‘aryanisation’ or Nazi looting of Jewish property.”

On the one hand, this could be the last chance for survivors to recognize their family heirlooms. On the other hand, owners aware of ill-earned items are becoming more frantic to sell, especially after the widely publicized case of Gustav Klimt’s “Lady in Gold”, finally restituted in 2006. Research on art stolen by the Nazis has been gaining momentum.

“As restitution is often too late, we call upon Christie’s in your own language, to establish a foundation that will be directed to a philanthropic cause: for Holocaust survivors, their families and Holocaust education,” Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, said in a letter to Christie’s CEO.

“Thus, we expect you to announce that this May sale marks an initiative dedicated to the ‘Lessons of the Holocaust’,” he added.