Adolf Hitler's Stolen Art: German officials conduct deep probe to recover paintings stolen from the Führer’s 'confiscated' collection

fall of olf Hitler's Blitzkreig army marked end of World War-2.  It also led to rampant ft in and around crumbling Germany. Particularly art ft, which Hitler himself h stolen from families in Germany, according to historians.

Art robbery in falling WW-II Germany (1945)

According to international news reports, Central Institute for Art History (CIAH) in Munich has conducted a comprehensive investigation to ascertain whereabouts of art that was stored in Führer’s building- Führerbau and jacent Nazi hequarters.

Historians have revealed that two days prior to Allied forces stormed Berlin, Nazi guard who protected important buildings h abandoned while Hitler himself was a day away from committing suicide. At such a time, desperate and starved crowds in nation's capital stormed Führerbau - initially for food, liquor, and furniture. n y plundered his cellars to steal his priceless art collection.

Fallen Germany, 1945 (Photo: Getty Ims)

Hitler and stolen art collection

According to researchers, Hitler h stashed away 1500 pieces of artwork shipped from across Europe in two buildings in Berlin, confiscated by Nazis from Jewish collections. After fall of Hitler, researchers found that at least 700 pieces were looted in two-day spree.

Out of missing art pieces, authorities were able to recover almost 300 paintings, many in weeks after plunder, stashed in nearby vicinity.

Führerbau (Photo: Frank Leonhardt via AP)

Current recovery efforts

News reports suggest that in post-World War era, German government were reluctant to track remaining 400 paintings, avoiding to stake a claim to possessions stolen by ir predecessors in Third Reich.

But recently according to news reports, in a renewed effort to recover paintings, German officials have listed every painting to German Federal Criminal Police Office and Interpol, creating two databases of missing art. As of w, researchers claim that three dozen paintings have been recovered from across globe - one in University of South California, one in New York and several ors from US.

Photo: USC Fischer Museum of Art

Historians have claimed biggest obstacle is 'Ersitzung' which dictates that someone who acquires an item in good faith and possesses it for 10 years becomes rightful owner. This has created difficulties in recovering art from collectors who bought it without kwing that it was stolen, say researchers.