The Auction of the “Mauerbach Treasure”

Abstract

This article describes the history of the objects stored at the Mauerbach monastery in Austria from soon after the Second World War until their auction last year. During the war, the German National Socialists had collected art works throughout Europe in many different ways—through theft, confiscation, forced sales, and legitimate sales. Both the legal issues raised by the attempts to determine the rightful owners of these objects and the criticism which the Austrian government received for failing to find more of these owners are discussed. The situation was finally resolved last year when the remaining objects were auctioned and the proceeds given to various organizations representing the victims of the Nazis.

At long last, the story of the “Mauerbach Treasure” has been concluded. This hoard of art objects has been the source of many legends owing to the secrecy, including even the identification of the objects themselves, which had surrounded it for many years.¹