Restitutions and Case News :

Koenigs case re-submitted, Dutch Restitutions Committee to reconsider, 5 February 2013

The Koenigs collection was assembled in the first half of the last century by Franz Koenigs, a banker and prominent art collector. The collection consists of 2,671 Old Master Drawings and 46 paintings. It is one of the highest value claims in the Netherlands.

In December 2003, based on the advice of the Restitution Committee, the State Secretary decided not to return the F. Koenigs collection to the heirs. http://www.restitutiecommissie.nl/publicaties.html Report 2003 case RC 1.6.

Following the judgment rendered by the Dutch National Ombudsman in 2010, the State Secretary felt obliged to resubmit the Koenigs case, to the Restitution Committee on May 4, 2011 for re-adjudication (see report 2010/315).  http://www.nationaleombudsman-nieuws.nl/nieuws/2010/ombudsman-pleit-voor-ruimere-rol

The case RC 1.6 therefore was given a new case number RC 4.123.

The view of the heirs is that the Restitution Committee to date has neither fully nor painstakingly researched the reasons for Franz Koenigs’ loss of his collection nor did the extensive factual documentation provided by the heirs enter their adjudication.

For the Restitutions Committee to reconsider a case, claimants must submit new facts that if they had been known at the time the Committee rendered its advice, would have led to a different conclusion, and/or show that mistakes were made during the procedure, that harmed the fundamental interests of the claimants.

On November 19, 2012 the Claimants  submitted factual documentation to meet the requirements under (a) and (b) to the Restitution Committee and the Committee is now reviewing the case.

For further information contact Chr.F. Koenigs +31 651313488 Christine@Koenigs.nl www.Koenigs.nl