New York museums are now required to post a notice listing any art stolen during the Nazi era in Europe.
The new state law passed this month is part of a “legislative package to honor and support Holocaust survivors in educational, cultural and financial institutions,” according to a news release.
“During World War II, the Nazis looted approximately 600,000 paintings by Jews, enriching the Third Reich and eradicating all vestiges of Jewish identity and culture,” the state Department of Economic Services said in a statement.
“Today, artworks previously stolen by the Nazis can be found hanging in museums in New York with no recognition of the dark paths they traveled there,” State Senator Anna M. Kaplan was quoted as saying. “With the history of the Holocaust being so important to pass on to the next generation, it is vital that we are transparent and ensure that anyone who sees artwork stolen by the Nazis understands where it came from and its role in history.”
NYC SUCKER-PUNCH SUSPECT RETURNED TO RIKERS ISLAND AFTER RELEASED WITHOUT BAIL ON DOWNGRADED ATTEMPTED MURDER
New York, United States – January 11, 2009: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
But not everyone is praising the new state law.
“As a Jew who actually had the Nazis steal my parents’ and grandparents’ possessions, I would much rather see the criminal laws enforced and bail laws revised that would make it safe for Jews to walk the streets of New York for this the weak badge of virtue from Hochul,” he tweeted.
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“Last year, an appeals court ruled that the Metropolitan Museum of Art can keep a $100 million Picasso painting that the previous owner’s family said was sold to finance the owner’s escape from Nazi Germany, according to Artnet,” NBC News reported .
Pilar Arias is a multimedia journalist with more than 10 years of experience in broadcast, digital and print productions. It covers a wide variety of topics. @PilarFOXNews.
