ePub The Orpheus Clock: The Search for My Family’s Art Treasures Stolen by the Nazis by Simon Goodman in History

Review

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Reclaiming A HeritageBy John D. CofieldSimon Goodman grew up with a family mystery. His father was always traveling on mysterious missions that took him across Europe and involved many visits to museums and art dealers; but Simon and his older brother Nick never knew the reason for the journeys. There seemed to be some cousins on their father's side; but they were rarely in contact with any of them. As for their grandparents and other forebears; all they were told is that they had died during World War II. It was not until after their father died in 1994 that Simon and Nick learned that he had been trying to trace and recover what had been an amazing family art collection; stolen by the Nazis and now scattered far and wide. Simon took on his father's quest; and the results of his nearly two decade long search are detailed in this fascinating book.The family fortune began in the nineteenth century with a bank in Dresden. Hard work; smart investing; and an expanding German industrial economy led to great wealth for the Gutmann dynasty; which intermarried with and became part of an expansive; predominantly Jewish; association of banking families. The Gutmanns were secular rather than observant Jews; and eventually many of them converted to Lutheranism and for all intents and purposes completely assimilated into German society. Their great wealth allowed them to establish wonderful art collections; including a magnificent set of silver statues and objets d'art.Although the Gutmanns had apparently left their Jewish heritage behind them; rising anti-Semitism in post-World War I Germany began to cause them problems. Simon's grandparents moved to Holland and established a comfortable existence for themselves; continuing to add to their art collections until their home became a veritable palace. Unfortunately; they were trapped when the Germans invaded Holland in 1940; and eventually their collection was confiscated and they themselves were swallowed up and perished in the Holocaust.The story of how Simon's father and then Simon himself spent years searching for and reclaiming their family's lost art is a fascinating one. The family's silver collection and their paintings and other valuables had disappeared into collections made by leading Nazis like Hermann Goering and Adolf Hitler himself. When World War II ended much of the Nazis' stolen art then ended up in museums or in the hands of private collectors in Europe and the United States. Simon had to deal with bureaucracies moving at a glacial pace; hostile or indifferent officials and collectors; and massive legal expenses in order to track down and reclaim the art. When asked by Morley Safer of 60 Minutes why he was doing it; he replied that it was "unfinished business" that needed to be taken care of; not just for himself but for the memories of his forebears who had collected and loved the pieces he was seeking.This is a very emotional story. Simon's search is not only for the physical goods that his family once owned; but also for their memories and the heritage that passed down to him through them. His search is ongoing; but it's obvious that he has already accomplished has earned him; and hopefully his family; new peace. Edmund de Waal's The Hare With Amber Eyes and Robert W. Edsel's The Monuments Men recount similar stories and cover much of the same period in history.9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. An amazing story of perseveranceBy julansThis is the most amazing story of a family's loss - not only their home and wealth; but many of their family members. The story evolves from a son dealing with some boxes of papers left from his father's estate. He finds answers about why his father traveled (he thought) for work; and why he was always tucked away in his office at home. Unbeknownst to his son; his father was searching for thousands of items; stolen by the Nazis from his family; and not returned after the war. Now his son is going to research his family; and try to track down some of the artwork that was taken. I warn you; do not read this book at bedtime. I did and got no sleep; I got so pissed I had a hard time sleeping. First and foremost; it's a terrific read . . . it's an amazing mystery for his son to take on. However; once you read about how ALL the governments (including those you might not expect; such as Holland; France; and other allies) denied any involvement in lost artifacts; and even when the artwork is found in their possession; they demand fees (large ones) before the particular artwork piece would be returned. But the son keeps working on the threads of information he finds; with some positive results. But you'll have to read the book to see how everything turns out . . .I couldn't recommend a better book.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A remarkable readBy Gillian GreenI heard an interview with the author of this book on my local radio station in New Zealand; and knowing how much I had loved 'The Hare with the Amber Eyes' I looked forward to readingit. It is an enhancing story in the end; a family's long fight to have restored to them what had been stolen from them by the Nazi Party's art thefts. Goodman and his brother are two of the heirs of the Gutmann family which had risen from Bavarian origins to become one of Germany's great banking houses. Wealthy and confident; the family had over several generations acquired an astounding personal art collection and in the early years of the rise of the Nazi Party had moved to the Netherlands in what turned out to be a vain attempt to preserve the family's business and possessions. Their story was little different from that of tens of thousands of other European Jewish families; and by the end of the war few of the Gutmann family were left alive and their beautiful art collection had been looted to provide articles for Hitler and Goring.The author's father; Bernard; educated in England; spent every year of his life post-war trying to track down those works of art with a life-sapping lack of success. Simon and his brother Nick knew little of this battle; all they knew was their father was frequently absent in mind and body. After their father's death by drowning; the brothers received boxes of his papers which illustrated the attempts he had made so valiantly to have restored those precious symbols of a nearly extinct family. Simon and Nick take up the staff and with the emergence from secrecy of many Nazi and Dutch documents they begin to trace the travels of as many pieces of their grandparents' collection as they can. In the process they learn the terrible story of Fritz and Louise's fate; but they also battle governments and institutions loathe to accept that the pieces they now own were Holocaust thefts. While some of these organisations behave shamefully; there are some whose honour and courage provide heartwarming examples of public goodness.Over the space of the book; the Goodmans; as they are now known; track down a large number of works - paintings; sculpture; china; glassware and silver. In a modern world where people do not live in vast houses; the brothers are forced to make difficult decisions about which pieces they might treasure for the links they provide to an almost silent past; and which they must be prepared to sell. The search takes them all over Europe and the United States and each find is a celebration for the reader. The story is compelling as a good detective novel is compelling; but this is real life. The courage and determination that is illustrated here is remarkable.If I have one criticism; it is that I found irritating Simon Goodman's determination to label the Nazi perpetrators as "vile" or "greedy". Their actions speak for themselves and I did not need to be told how to respond to them. I think the story stands strongly without this intrusive attempt to force my opinion in a way that I eventually found patronising; but it is in truth a very small criticism. The story is at turns grim; deeply moving; exciting and exultant. It is a testament to the human spirit.