Nazi-Looted Schmidt-Rottluff Painting Returns to Jewish Heirs—But Stays in Museum

Decades after the Nazis seized it, a prized expressionist painting finds justice—but not a new home. The museum’s deal with heirs rewrites its troubled past.

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2025 December 2 . 9:14 AM

1 min read

This is the picture of a museum plaque on which there is something written and also we can see some... — This is the picture of a museum plaque on which there is something written and also we can see some sculptures on it.

Looted Art: Painting Can Stay in Wuppertal - Nazi-Looted Schmidt-Rottluff Painting Returns to Jewish Heirs—But Stays in Museum

A Nazi-looted painting has been returned to the heirs of a persecuted Jewish family but will remain in Wuppertal’s Von der Heydt Museum. The artwork, Two Women (Women in Green) by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, was originally owned by Alfred Hess, a Jewish industrialist targeted by the Nazi regime. The museum reached a settlement with the family, allowing it to repurchase the piece for an undisclosed sum.

The painting’s troubled history began in 1933 when it was moved to Switzerland. By 1937, it had returned to Germany, eventually entering the Von der Heydt Museum’s collection in 1947. Decades later, the museum acknowledged its Nazi-era looting and agreed to restitution.

The painting will now stay in the museum’s collection, but under lawful ownership. The agreement ensures the artwork remains accessible to the public while acknowledging its past. The case highlights ongoing efforts to address historical injustices in art restitution.