Ferdinand BLOCH-BAUER

In 1941, the porcelain collection of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer was put up for auction because of alleged tax debts. Dr. Richard Ernst, then Director of the MAK, who had published an illustrated study on the collection in 1925, had great interest in the items for sale and wanted to secure selected objects for the museum. For 31,320 Reichsmarks, the MAK purchased 36 objects from the Bloch-Bauer collection with an estimated value of 72,700 Reichsmarks. The 36 objects were inventoried under 46 inventory numbers in June 1941. Efforts made by the lawyer of the Bloch-Bauer family for restitution of the objects resulted in a compensation settlement in 1949. 22 objects remained at the MAK as a dedication, for 14 objects the family received duplicate copies from the MAK repository in exchange.

On 28 June 1999, the Advisory Board voted against the restitution of the bartered objects but advocated the restitution of the objects that had remained in the MAK as a dedication which was effected on 18 November 1999.

Due to the amendment of the Art Restitution Law in 2009, the Advisory Board reexamined the case of the 14 bartered objects on 17 April 2015 and now advocated their restitution provided the legal successors returned the compensation received in 1949.

So far this restitution has not been effected.

Service

porcelain, Vienna, late 18th century / restituted

Plate

porcelain, Vienna, late 18th century / restituted

Chocolate mug and saucer

porcelain, Vienna, early 19th century / restituted

Toilet set

porcelain, Vienna, late 18th century / restituted

Lidded vase

porcelain, portrait of Emperor Franz I. Vienna, 1804 / restituted

Ferdinand BLOCH-BAUER

Provenance Research at the MAK