Willibald DUSCHNITZ

When Willibald Duschnitz fled Vienna in 1938 to escape the Nazi regime, 13 of his art objects were at the MAK as loans. In 1947, the MAK gave nine of these objects back to Duschnitz. For the remaining four, the Austrian Federal Monuments Office didn’t issue an export license. Finally, in 1948 Willibald Duschnitz and the MAK agreed that the museum would purchase three objects and in return the export of the fourth, a Syrian nub bowl, would be authorized.

On 9 May 2008, the Advisory Board argued against the restitution of the three objects.

Due to the amendment of the Art Restitution Law in 2009, the Advisory Board reexamined the case of the three pieces on 8 October 2013 and advocated their return under the condition that the legal successors repaid the purchase price.

The restitution of the three objects took place on 13 June 2019.

Willibald DUSCHNITZ

PROVENANCE RESEARCH AND RESTITUTION AT THE MAK