Maria Altmann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Altmann
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Altmann at her home in 2010
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| Born |
Maria Victoria Bloch
February 18, 1916 |
| Died | February 7, 2011 (aged 94) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Nationality |
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| Known for | The recovery of five family-owned paintings by Gustav Klimt, stolen by the Nazis during World War II |
| Spouse(s) |
Frederick "Fritz" Altmann
(m. 1937; died 1994) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Viktor Gutmann (brother in law) |
Maria Altmann (born February 18, 1916 – died February 7, 2011) was an amazing Austrian-American woman. She was a Jewish refugee who had to escape her home country, Austria. This happened when Austria was taken over by Nazi Germany during World War II. Maria is famous for winning a big legal fight. She got back five valuable paintings by the artist Gustav Klimt. These paintings had been stolen from her family by the Nazis.
Contents
Maria Altmann's Early Life
Maria Victoria Bloch was born on February 18, 1916. Her birthplace was Vienna, which was then part of Austria-Hungary. Her parents were Marie Therese and Gustav Bloch. The family later changed their name to Bloch-Bauer.
Maria was the niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Adele was a wealthy Jewish art supporter. She was also the model for some of Klimt's most famous paintings. Adele hosted a popular gathering place in Vienna. Many famous artists and thinkers visited her home. These included Gustav Mahler and Klimt himself.
Escaping the Nazis
In 1937, Maria married Fredrick "Fritz" Altmann. Soon after their wedding, Austria was taken over by Nazi Germany in 1938. This event was called the Anschluss. Under Nazi rule, Fredrick was arrested in Austria. He was held at the Dachau concentration camp. The Nazis wanted his brother, Bernhard Altmann, to give up his textile factory. Bernhard was safe in England at the time.
Fredrick was eventually released. Maria and Fredrick then made a very difficult escape. They had to leave behind their home, family, and all their belongings. This included valuable jewelry. They traveled through Liverpool, England. Finally, they reached the United States. They settled first in Fall River, Massachusetts. Later, they moved to Los Angeles.
Starting a New Life in America
After arriving in Los Angeles, Maria's brother-in-law, Bernhard Altmann, sent her a special sweater. It was made of cashmere wool, a very soft and expensive fabric. Cashmere was not common in the U.S. yet. Maria took the sweater to a department store in Beverly Hills. Many people wanted to buy Bernhard Altmann's cashmere sweaters.
Maria became well-known for cashmere in California. She even started her own clothing business. She became an American citizen in 1945. Her husband, Fredrick, passed away in 1994.
The Fight to Reclaim Klimt Paintings
Maria Altmann's uncle, Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, owned a small collection of art by Gustav Klimt. This included two portraits of his wife, Adele Bloch-Bauer. Adele had asked her husband in her will to give the Klimt paintings to the Austrian State Gallery after he died. She passed away in 1925.
When the Nazis took over Austria in 1938, Ferdinand fled. The paintings were stolen by the Nazis. Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer died in 1945. He left his property to his nephew and two nieces, including Maria Altmann. By this time, six of the paintings were with the Austrian government. These included Adele Bloch-Bauer I and Adele Bloch-Bauer II.
Discovering the Truth
In the 1990s, Austria faced pressure to look into its Nazi past. A new law was passed in 1998. This law made it easier to find out about art stolen by the Nazis. An Austrian journalist, Hubertus Czernin, used this new law. He found out that Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer had never actually given the paintings to the state museum. This was different from what everyone had thought.
When Maria Altmann learned this, she tried to talk with the Austrian government. At first, she only asked for the Klimt landscape paintings. She was willing to let Austria keep the famous portraits. But the Austrian government did not take her offer seriously.
Taking the Case to Court
In 1999, Maria decided to sue the Austrian government in an Austrian court. However, the fee to file such a lawsuit was very high. It was based on a percentage of the paintings' value. The five paintings were worth about $135 million. This made the filing fee over $1.5 million. The court later lowered the fee to $350,000. But this was still too much for Maria. So, she stopped her case in Austria.
In 2000, Maria filed a lawsuit in a United States court. The case, Republic of Austria v. Altmann, eventually went to the highest court in the U.S., the Supreme Court of the United States. In 2004, the Supreme Court decided that Austria could be sued in the U.S.
After this decision, Maria and Austria agreed to let three Austrian experts decide the case. On January 16, 2006, these experts ruled that Austria had to return the art to Maria and her family. In March of that year, Austria gave the paintings back.
The Paintings Find New Homes
The paintings were worth at least $150 million when they were returned. This was the largest return of Nazi-stolen art in Austria. The paintings left Austria in March 2006. They were shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for a few months.
Maria Altmann later decided to sell the Klimt paintings. The famous painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I was sold to Ronald Lauder for $135 million. At that time, it was the most money ever paid for a painting. Since July 13, 2006, this painting has been on display at the Neue Galerie in New York City. The other four Klimt paintings were also sold at auction for a total of $192.7 million. The money from the sales was shared among Maria's family.
Some of the money was used to create the Maria Altmann Family Foundation. This foundation supports the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust and other good causes.
Maria Altmann's Later Life and Legacy
Maria Altmann passed away on February 7, 2011. She died at her home in Los Angeles, just before her 95th birthday. Many newspapers around the world wrote about her life.
Films and Books About Her Story
Maria Altmann's amazing story has been told in several ways.
- The documentary film Stealing Klimt (2007) includes interviews with Maria.
- Another film, Adele's Wish (2008), also features interviews with her.
- Her life and fight to get back the Klimt collection are told in the book The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O'Connor.
- Maria is also featured in a memoir by her caregiver, Gregor Collins. The book is called The Accidental Caregiver. It shares their unique friendship.
- In 2015, a movie called Woman in Gold was released. Helen Mirren plays Maria Altmann in the film. It shows Maria's nearly ten-year struggle to get her family's paintings back. Ryan Reynolds plays her lawyer, E. Randol Schoenberg.
- The novel Stolen Beauty (2017) by Laurie Lico Albanese also tells Maria's story.
See also
In Spanish: Maria Altmann para niños
- National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism
- List of Claims for Restitution for Nazi-looted art
