- Bremen restores and returns 16th-century artworks to their rightful owners
The artwork named "The Departure of Saint Ursula," housed in Museums Böttcherstraße's collection in Bremen, is set to be returned to the legitimate inheritors of the Jewish antiquarian Jacques Rosenthal. The council has endorsed the restitution, as confirmed by the cultural department's spokesperson. During the Nazi regime, Rosenthal was compelled to offload his business, residence, and art collection in January 1936 due to persecution. The museum aims to repurchase it.
This 16th-century masterpiece has been under the city of Bremen's custody since 1988, with the Federal Republic of Germany acquiring a third share in 1989. Following investigations by the Munich-based Central Institute for Art History and provenance research by Museums Böttcherstraße, it was established that the artwork was wrongfully seized from Jacques Rosenthal due to Nazi oppression. Consequently, discussions ensued with his lineage. It has now been decided that the artwork will be returned to the heirs.
The heirs are generally content with the painting continues to remain within the Bremen collection, as stated in the declaration. Until the anticipated repurchase, the artwork will continue to be displayed at Museums Böttcherstraße on loan. "We're thankful to the Rosenthal family for initially keeping the painting within Bremen and allowing us the chance to raise the necessary funds for a permanent stay," expressed Frank Schmidt, the museum's director.
The masterpiece "The Departure of Saint Ursula" is housed in Museums Böttcherstraße, which is located in the city of Bremen. Despite the artwork's expected return to Jacques Rosenthal's heirs, the museum aims to repurchase it.
