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9781451697643 English 1451697643 An extraordinary piece of history...a fresh and lively read ("The Christian Science Monitor") the passionate, gripping, true story of one man s single-minded quest to reclaim his family s art collection, stolen by the Nazis in World War II. Simon Goodman s grandparents came from German-Jewish banking dynasties and perished in concentration camps. And that s almost all he knew about them his father rarely spoke of their family history or heritage. But when his father passed away, and Simon received his old papers, a story began to emerge. The Gutmanns, as they were known then, rose from a small Bohemian hamlet to become one of Germany s most powerful banking families. They also amassed a magnificent, world-class art collection that included works by Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, Guardi, and many, many more. But the Nazi regime snatched from them everything they had worked to build: their remarkable art, their immense wealth, their prominent social standing, and their very lives. Only after his father s death did Simon begin to piece together the clues about the Gutmanns stolen legacy and the Nazi looting machine. With painstaking detective work across two continents, Simon has been able to prove that many works belonged to his family and successfully secure their return. Fascinating...splendid and tragic ("The" "Wall Street Journal"), Goodman s story is alternately wrenching and inspiring...An emotional tale of unspeakable horrors, family devotion, and art as a symbol of hope ("Kirkus Reviews"). It is not only the account of a twenty-year detective hunt for family treasure, but an unforgettable tale of redemption and restoration.", For much of his life, Simon Goodman knew little about his family history other than that his ancestors had risen from a small Bohemian hamlet to become one of Germany's most powerful banking families before "dying in the war". After his father's death in 1994. Simon received box upon box of old documents and began to piece together the rest of the story: His family was Jewish, their name had originally been Gutmann and his grandfather and great-grandfather had been among Europe's most discerning art collectors. Their magnificent collection included works by Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, Bosch, Guardi, and many others, as well as a priceless four-hundred-and-fifty-year-old engraved table clock deputing scenes from the legend of Orpheus in the Underworld. The Nazi regime had snatched everything the Gutmanns had labored to build: their art collection, their wealth, their prominent social standing and then their very lives. As Simon uncovered clues about his family's stolen legacy and the Nazi looting machine, he determined that much of the art collection had gone to Hitler and Hermann Göring: other works had been sold to collectors and dealers with many pieces ending up in famous museums. More still had been recovered by Allied forces only to be stolen again by heartless bureaucrats. Through painstaking detective work across two continents and over two decades, Simon set out to secure the return of the artwork belonging to the Gutmanns. The Orpheus Clock is his dramatic and heartfelt account of the hunt for his family's lost treasures and an unforgettable tale of redemption and restoration. Book jacket., The passionate, gripping, true story of one man's single-minded quest to reclaim what the Nazis stole from his family, their beloved art collection, and to restore their legacy. Simon Goodman's grandparents came from German-Jewish banking dynasties and perished in concentration camps. And that's almost all he knew about them--his father rarely spoke of their family history or heritage. But when he passed away, and Simon received his father's old papers, a story began to emerge. The Gutmanns, as they were known then, rose from a small Bohemian hamlet to become one of Germany's most powerful banking families. They also amassed a magnificent, world-class art collection that included works by Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, Guardi, and many, many others. But the Nazi regime snatched from them everything they had worked to build: their remarkable art, their immense wealth, their prominent social standing, and their very lives. Simon grew up in London with little knowledge of his father's efforts to recover their family's prized possessions. It was only after his father's death that Simon began to piece together the clues about the Gutmanns' stolen legacy and the Nazi looting machine. He learned much of the collection had gone to Hitler and Hermann Goering; other works had been smuggled through Switzerland, sold and resold to collectors and dealers, with many works now in famous museums. More still had been recovered by Allied forces only to be stolen again by heartless bureaucrats--European governments quietly absorbed thousands of works of art into their own collections. Through painstaking detective work across two continents, Simon has been able to prove that many works belonged to his family, and successfully secure their return. With the help of his family, Simon initiated the first Nazi looting case to be settled in the United States. They also brought about the first major restitution in The Netherlands since the post-war era. Goodman's dramatic story, told with great heart, reveals a rich family history almost obliterated by the Nazis. It is not only the account of a twenty-year long detective hunt for family treasure, but an unforgettable tale of redemption and restoration.
9781451697643 English 1451697643 An extraordinary piece of history...a fresh and lively read ("The Christian Science Monitor") the passionate, gripping, true story of one man s single-minded quest to reclaim his family s art collection, stolen by the Nazis in World War II. Simon Goodman s grandparents came from German-Jewish banking dynasties and perished in concentration camps. And that s almost all he knew about them his father rarely spoke of their family history or heritage. But when his father passed away, and Simon received his old papers, a story began to emerge. The Gutmanns, as they were known then, rose from a small Bohemian hamlet to become one of Germany s most powerful banking families. They also amassed a magnificent, world-class art collection that included works by Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, Guardi, and many, many more. But the Nazi regime snatched from them everything they had worked to build: their remarkable art, their immense wealth, their prominent social standing, and their very lives. Only after his father s death did Simon begin to piece together the clues about the Gutmanns stolen legacy and the Nazi looting machine. With painstaking detective work across two continents, Simon has been able to prove that many works belonged to his family and successfully secure their return. Fascinating...splendid and tragic ("The" "Wall Street Journal"), Goodman s story is alternately wrenching and inspiring...An emotional tale of unspeakable horrors, family devotion, and art as a symbol of hope ("Kirkus Reviews"). It is not only the account of a twenty-year detective hunt for family treasure, but an unforgettable tale of redemption and restoration.", For much of his life, Simon Goodman knew little about his family history other than that his ancestors had risen from a small Bohemian hamlet to become one of Germany's most powerful banking families before "dying in the war". After his father's death in 1994. Simon received box upon box of old documents and began to piece together the rest of the story: His family was Jewish, their name had originally been Gutmann and his grandfather and great-grandfather had been among Europe's most discerning art collectors. Their magnificent collection included works by Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, Bosch, Guardi, and many others, as well as a priceless four-hundred-and-fifty-year-old engraved table clock deputing scenes from the legend of Orpheus in the Underworld. The Nazi regime had snatched everything the Gutmanns had labored to build: their art collection, their wealth, their prominent social standing and then their very lives. As Simon uncovered clues about his family's stolen legacy and the Nazi looting machine, he determined that much of the art collection had gone to Hitler and Hermann Göring: other works had been sold to collectors and dealers with many pieces ending up in famous museums. More still had been recovered by Allied forces only to be stolen again by heartless bureaucrats. Through painstaking detective work across two continents and over two decades, Simon set out to secure the return of the artwork belonging to the Gutmanns. The Orpheus Clock is his dramatic and heartfelt account of the hunt for his family's lost treasures and an unforgettable tale of redemption and restoration. Book jacket., The passionate, gripping, true story of one man's single-minded quest to reclaim what the Nazis stole from his family, their beloved art collection, and to restore their legacy. Simon Goodman's grandparents came from German-Jewish banking dynasties and perished in concentration camps. And that's almost all he knew about them--his father rarely spoke of their family history or heritage. But when he passed away, and Simon received his father's old papers, a story began to emerge. The Gutmanns, as they were known then, rose from a small Bohemian hamlet to become one of Germany's most powerful banking families. They also amassed a magnificent, world-class art collection that included works by Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, Guardi, and many, many others. But the Nazi regime snatched from them everything they had worked to build: their remarkable art, their immense wealth, their prominent social standing, and their very lives. Simon grew up in London with little knowledge of his father's efforts to recover their family's prized possessions. It was only after his father's death that Simon began to piece together the clues about the Gutmanns' stolen legacy and the Nazi looting machine. He learned much of the collection had gone to Hitler and Hermann Goering; other works had been smuggled through Switzerland, sold and resold to collectors and dealers, with many works now in famous museums. More still had been recovered by Allied forces only to be stolen again by heartless bureaucrats--European governments quietly absorbed thousands of works of art into their own collections. Through painstaking detective work across two continents, Simon has been able to prove that many works belonged to his family, and successfully secure their return. With the help of his family, Simon initiated the first Nazi looting case to be settled in the United States. They also brought about the first major restitution in The Netherlands since the post-war era. Goodman's dramatic story, told with great heart, reveals a rich family history almost obliterated by the Nazis. It is not only the account of a twenty-year long detective hunt for family treasure, but an unforgettable tale of redemption and restoration.