The Netherlands is confronting its history of Nazi occupation but many stolen objects remain unreturned

"Several months ago the Dutch art detective Arthur Brand was amazed to be contacted by a man who had recently made an uncomfortable discovery about his family's wartime past: that he was a descendant of Hendrik Seyffardt, a Waffen-SS general and one of the highest-ranking Dutch collaborators. Hendrik Seyffardt (third from left) with other members of the WA Volunteer Regiment in The Hague, 11 October 1941. Photograph: Shawshots/Alamy"

"Not only that, said the man, but he had found out something else: a painting by the Dutch artist Toon Kelder, which had been looted by the Nazis from the famed collection of the Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, was still in the possession of the Seyffardt family. Kelder's Portrait of a Young Girl was hanging in the hall of his relative's house near Utrecht, he told Brand. The man told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that he felt deep shame about his family history, but was also furious about the years of silence."

"The story made waves; the family, who had changed their name after the second world war, handed over the painting to Brand soon after the story was published in the Dutch media on Monday. The owner was quoted as saying she had inherited the painting from her mother and had no idea that Goudstikker's heirs wanted it back. Brand told the Guardian he was now in touch with them on how to proceed."

"The moral outrage of the man who only recently discovered his family's past reflects a mood of growing openness in the Netherlands to confronting the country's history of occupation, during which three-quarters of the Jewish population was murdered by the Nazis, thousands collaborated with the regime and Jewish property and homes were confiscated. Since 2020, an approach of humanity and goodwill has been applied to restitution requests fr"

A Dutch art detective received contact from a man who learned he was descended from Hendrik Seyffardt, a Waffen-SS general and prominent Dutch collaborator. The man also reported that Toon Kelder’s Portrait of a Young Girl, looted by Nazis from Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker, was still held by his family near Utrecht. The family had changed its name after the Second World War and later handed the painting to the detective after the story gained media attention. The owner said she inherited the painting from her mother and had not known that Goudstikker’s heirs sought its return. The detective continued discussions with the heirs on next steps, reflecting increased openness in the Netherlands toward confronting occupation-era crimes and restitution requests.

Read at www.theguardian.com