U.S. expert condemns Simon Wiesenthal Center's claims of Nazi loot in Irish museum

[Scurrilous]

Source: Associated Press

<snip>

"An Irish museum was formally cleared Friday of claims that its founders were Nazi spies who bought art works from dealers trafficking in items stolen from Jews.

The report from U.S. expert Lynn Nicholas, published by the Royal Irish Academy following two investigations over three years, called the Simon Wiesenthal Center's allegations "unprofessional in the extreme."

Nicholas found no evidence that the late John and Gertrude Hunt — founders of one of Ireland's best-loved museums, the Hunt Museum in Limerick — did anything wrong. She did call for further research of the museum's pieces, most of which are undocumented.

Nicholas, Washington-based author of "The Rape of Europa" and other works examining the World War II art world, harshly criticized the Wiesenthal Center, the world's major Nazi-hunting pressure group, for making personally abusive claims based on threadbare evidence."


Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/28/europe/EU-GEN-Ireland-Nazi-Loot.php

[redqueen]

1. Glad to read that...

Shame it took so long to settle, but good that it's finally done.

[angstlessk]

2. I recon they could claim evey piece of artwork created before WWII

that does not have perfect provenance as belonging to a German Jew before the war???

[DavidDvorkin]

3. Uh, right. Because "they" are like that, you know.

[angstlessk]

14. Sorry I never said would, or will I said could.,..any piece of artwork

that cannot be proven to belong to anyone can be claimed by German Jews. I am sure some are selfish enough to do just that...sorry Jews are not free from greed just because they are Jews. ???

[provis99]

4. WTF? If its undocumented, its because it was stolen by the Nazis!

She just completely destroyed her own claim! Most, if not all, undocumented artwork was undocumented because it was Nazi loot! Who is this Nicholas clown?

This bears more investigation, because Ireland was notorious for harboring Nazi war criminals after the war, and denying entry to Jewish refugees.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. Ireland was also pro-German during the war

Officialy neutral, but they helped the Nazis in a number of ways, such as lighting up their border with Northern Ireland to defeat the British blackout and help German bombers find their targets.

[fedsron2us]

7. To be fair lots of Irish citizens volunteered to join the British forces

in the fight against fascism. Lets not tar the whole Irish people with the views of De Valera.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. Good point

[Henny Penny]

12. I'd love to know your source for that!

Ireland did not have a blackout and it was certainly in her interests to light up in order to avoid being bombed.

Despite the lights the Germans did manage to bomb Dublin "by mistake".

*************8

One should always try and avoid smearing entire populations or racial groups whoever they may be.

[nealmhughes]

15. Belfast was heavily bombed as was Cardiff -- we tend to think the Germans only bombed London!

[Teaser]

6. Prove your statement

"Most, if not all, undocumented artwork was undocumented because it was Nazi loot."

I want numbers, accounting for every piece of undocumented artwork. You just made a hard and fast claim.

Now prove it.

[TheWraith]

8. Nonsense.

Undocumented means just that: that the sales and chain of custody weren't documented. That could mean something was stolen somewhere along the way, or it could simply mean that the former owner was a shoddy record keeper.

[terisan]

10. Please cite evidence for your claims. nt

[acmavm]

11. Right! All undocumented art was stolen from a Jewish person. Just like

the word Holocaust only applies to Jews because you know the Nazis didn't kill any gypsies, mental patients, serbians, or anyone else for goodness sake.

:sarcasm:

[Henny Penny]

13. I think this Nicholas "clown" is one of the world's leading experts

on looted art.

"Ireland was notorious for harbouring Nazi war criminals after the war"

Surely you jest!

:crazy:

Operation paper clip ring a bell?

[xchrom]

16. that was an ignorant and extremely disturbing comment. n/t