Promised Restitution

In response, in September 1998, Gehrer proposed a new restitution law, designed to return artworks that had been donated to federal museums under duress in exchange for export permits, or obtained by the federal museums despite having a provenance which suggested that they were never properly restituted to their pre-war owners. The law was unanimously approved by the Austrian parliament and signed into law by the President in December 1998.  The new law created a committee made up of government officials and art historians which was to advise Gehrer which artworks should be returned and to whom.  Rudolf Wran, the section chief for culture under Gehrer, was selected to head this committee.

In January, 1999, the government permitted Czernin to copy the documents in the Federal Monument Agency files.  Czernin provided copies to Maria Altmann’s attorney, E. Randol Schoenberg.  It was at this time that Altmann first learned that the Austrian Gallery had lied to her brother’s attorney about the contents of Adele’s will, and had swindled her out of her inheritance.

In early February, the committee announced its first recommendation to return hundreds of artworks to the Austrian branch of the Rothschild family. Later that month, Minister Gehrer responded to parliamentary inquiries regarding a long list of suspect artworks by concluding that ”the connection between the donation of the Klimt paintings and the export permit law is evident.”  The Austrian press reported in big headlines that the Klimt paintings would have to be returned.