Legal Artistry (16 page)

"Is this it?” Dieter asked, mouth open, standing in front of their hotel, looking up at the facade of the eighteenth-century home now converted into a small hotel. Gerald had probably paid more than necessary for their room, but he wanted Dieter to stay someplace special, and since they were staying together for more than a single night for the first time, he sort of wanted to impress.

"Yes. I hope you like it,” Gerald said, but from the look on Dieter's face, he knew it was a hit. “Let's go inside,” Gerald prompted, and Dieter looked both ways down the sidewalk.

"Can we see things?” Dieter asked, practically jumping out of his skin.

Gerald nearly groaned out loud, but stopped. Dieter had so much energy, but their time in Vienna was very limited. They were scheduled to leave again early Friday morning. “Sure. Let's get checked in and our things up to the room, then we can explore a little.” God, he loved Dieter when he was this happy. The man practically glowed with energy and excitement.

Picking up the bags, Gerald led the way inside and walked to the small front desk in what had once been a grand living room. Gerald rang the bell, and a middle-aged man appeared through a door behind the desk. “Guten Morgen,” he said and began speaking in German, only parts of which Gerald understood. Turning to Dieter, Gerald noticed that he wasn't behind him, and he craned his neck and caught sight of him just outside in the hallway.

"Guten Morgen,” Gerald replied, “I'm afraid that's about the limit of my German."

"Do you have a reservation?” the man inquired, switching to near perfect English.

"Yes, one room under the name Young."

"Yes. We're expecting you,” he said, handing Gerald a reservation card. “Your room will not be ready until 1400 hours this afternoon. We can hold your bags for you and put them in the room when it is ready,” he explained pleasantly, and Gerald thanked him before filling out the registration card and handing him a credit card and his passport. Dieter rejoined him, still looking around, and after signing the credit slip, they placed their bags in a small room before leaving the hotel, heading to the subway station.

"Where are we going?” Dieter asked as they descended beneath street level.

"How about visiting a palace?” Gerald asked before buying their tickets and making their way to the train.

He and Dieter spent most of the morning and early afternoon touring Schonbrunn Palace, the gardens, and grounds. Both of them stared open-mouthed as they stood in the middle of the ballroom, looking up at the frescoed ceilings, glittering gold walls, and massive crystal chandeliers. Once they'd toured the palace itself, they played hide and seek in the hedge maze, climbed the hill to the fountains, and then walked farther to the Gloriette on the hill. “This is beautiful,” Dieter commented as they stood on the roof of the Gloriette looking down at the gardens, palace, and then the whole city beyond. “To think, from one of the pictures in Gram's album, Anna and Joseph stood right where we are now."

Gerald slipped an arm around Dieter's waist, squeezing him lightly. “I hope they were as happy as I am to be here with you.” Heedless of the people around them, Gerald leaned to Dieter, kissing him to accentuate his sentiment, and the sun, which had been absent for most of the day, hidden behind low clouds, chose that moment to break through, bathing them, the gardens, and the golden palace in showers of light that seemed to reflect off everything.

They ate a late, light lunch in the Gloriette cafe before walking back down the hill. Gerald took as many pictures as he could, some of a couple on their honeymoon in front of the Neptune fountain, and the couple returned the favor. By the time Gerald and Dieter left the palace grounds and rode the subway back, they were exhausted, and the final walk to the hotel seemed to take forever.

Their room was ready when they got back, and they found their bags already waiting for them. Gerald's body screamed for sleep, but he forced himself to stay awake through the rest of the afternoon. After eating dinner in the small restaurant around the corner, Gerald convinced Dieter to take a walk before going to their room and falling into bed, where Dieter curled next to him in the cool room. Gerald slept like the dead, waking only to use the bathroom before falling right back to sleep, and as far as he could tell, Dieter never moved a muscle the entire night.

Gerald's traveling alarm woke them in the morning, both of them having difficulty waking up, but they made it to breakfast and left the hotel on time, arriving at the Belvedere Museum as they opened the doors. Gerald told the woman in the information booth who they were there to see, and she asked them to wait and quietly made a phone call. “Can we see the paintings before we leave?” Dieter asked softly.

"Without a doubt. We just need to get as much research done as we can,” Gerald answered.

"Herr Young,” a woman in her midthirties said as she approached. “Guten Morgen, I'm Hanna Weis,” she said by way of introduction.

"Guten Morgen,” Dieter answered, continuing the conversation in German. Gerald caught their names in the conversation, but that was all, and she shook hands with both of them.

"We can speak English if you prefer,” Hanna explained as she led them through controlled doors to utilitarian portions of the building that the public never saw. At another door, they paused at a desk where they were instructed to sign in and their passports were checked. Badges were issued, and then Hanna swiped her card and the door opened and closed behind them. The air felt instantly cooler and drier as they passed through metal detectors before being led through another door and into what looked like a catalog room. “Some of our more recent records have been computerized, but many are still cataloged in these card files and record books."

"We understand you are interested in records involving art transferred to the museum during the Nazi period,” Hanna said as she pointed them to that portion of the catalogs, and Gerald felt his eyes roll when he realized the amount of material they would need to search. “I can assure you that there is no art in the museum's collection that does not belong. We have researched everything extensively,” she explained proudly. That was almost equivalent to a statement he'd read on the Internet when the records were opened a few years earlier.

Gerald glanced at Dieter to make sure he was okay, and his only reaction was a hard look in his eyes that only Gerald would probably understand. “We understand that. What we're hoping to find are some interesting stories that will help add life and interest to our work. Many works of art make quite a journey before they arrive home, and it's some of those stories and the facts behind them that we're interested in.” Gerald felt the bullshit flow off his tongue like water off a duck's back. He knew if he let on to their true purpose, the archive doors would close and lock faster than a stripper could remove his Velcro pants.

"There are some things I can help you with,” Hanna explained as they got settled at one of the tables. “When the Nazis entered a country, they'd done their research. They already knew what was in the museums and they also found out where the important private collections were located. Two of the largest collections in Vienna at the time were the Mintz and the Meinauer collections. While the soldiers were parading around the Ringstrasse, teams were already entering those residences to confiscate the art. We could start there. Some of the works ended up here. The works from the Mintz collection that were in the museum's collection at that time were returned to the family after the war. The works from the Meinauer collection were left to the museum, so they remain here.” She walked to the catalog and pulled out a drawer. “I believe we have the inventory lists from a number of these private collections,” she explained and began to search for a few minutes. “I'll be right back. These lists might be a place for you to start."

As soon as she was gone, Dieter moved to sit in the chair next to Gerald. “You lied to her,” he whispered.

"No, I didn't. I just bent the truth a little. We are researching the journey of looted art, just the trip of some very specific pieces. She doesn't need to know that,” Gerald cautioned.

"But she seems so nice,” Dieter countered innocently.

"She probably is. But she's also an employee of the Ministry of Culture, the same ministry that denied your Gram's claim. And if she had an inkling of why we were really here, she'd tell her supervisors, and we'd find ourselves outside this room and this building in no time flat,” Gerald told Dieter a little more harshly than he meant and saw him flinch a little. “Sorry. Remember that we're here for your case, and I'm here as a lawyer doing research. I may have to say things or do things that you may not agree with, but know I'm doing them for your benefit."

"Can I ask you about them?” Dieter inquired, biting his lower lip nervously, and Gerald wondered if bringing him along was such a good idea.

"When we're alone, you can ask me anything at all."

Hanna returned, wearing gloves, carrying a book. She gave each of them a set of gloves that she had them put them on before setting the book on the table and carefully opening it.

"These are some of the German records from 1936 to 1940 that relate to their artistic endeavors.” She carefully turned the pages until she found what she wanted. “Here's the list of items from the Mintz collection and their disposition.” She pointed down the handwritten page. “These eight works ended up here because they weren't of interest to the Germans. These were taken into the Reich collection. That was their euphemism that meant they ended up with Goering, Himmler, or one of the other officials, and these two were presented to Hitler himself. It also lists all pertinent information about the work."

"Would it be possible to get a copy of this list?” Gerald asked, seeing a flicker of confusion in Dieter's eyes.

"Of course. I need to make them on a special copier so it doesn't degrade the paper. If this is for research, would you like an official copy? Each one is five Euros."

"That would be fine."

"Would you like to see the other lists?"

"If I could,” Gerald replied, hiding his excitement.

Hanna slowly turned some additional pages. “This is the list of items from the Meinauer collection,” Hanna explained, and Gerald saw Dieter perk up and he shot him a quick warning glance. “You can see the disposition of these paintings as well. There are twelve still in the collection, and the others were taken into German hands. Would you like a copy of this as well?"

Gerald explained that he would, and they continued through another, smaller collection and Gerald had a copy made of that list as well. When Hanna left, Gerald smiled at Dieter before concentrating on the tack he wanted to take. Hanna returned with the copies, each bearing an impressed seal, and Gerald handed Dieter the lists. “Let's pick one of these and see what we can find.” Gerald hoped Dieter would get the idea, and he seemed to, shuffling through the pages before handing her the page that listed the work from his family's collection. “If we can get what we need from this today, we can move on tomorrow,” Gerald explained, hoping Dieter understood.

"I'll see what I can find,” Hanna said, and hurried to check the catalogs before entering something in a computer. “It'll be a few minutes because the materials are not bound like these.” After awhile she left the room, and Dieter scoured the list of his family's collection.

"I feel dishonest,” he said softly.

"Shhh,” Gerald said. “Remember, we'll talk later."

They waited quite awhile this time, and Gerald asked Dieter questions about the paintings from his family's collection that were still in the museum and made notes so they could be researched further. When Hanna returned, she brought another man with her, and he sat at another table and began asking her questions. Eventually Hanna brought a folder to them, setting it on the table before explaining to them the rules for handling the documents.

Following her instructions, Dieter opened the folder and carefully removed the first document. “This is the detailed description of each artwork,” Dieter explained before turning the pages slowly, one after another.

"We'll need those,” Gerald said, thankful he had plenty of Euros in his pocket, because the bill for copying was going to be enormous. “What's that?"

"The letter from Anna,” Dieter answered his hand shaking slightly as he held the letter in his great-grandmother's handwriting.

"Read it if you like, but we have a copy already,” Gerald explained, reminding himself to add that letter to the lawsuit as well.

"No, this one is different. There's a second page that wasn't copied, and it seems rather personal,” Dieter explained softly, adding the letter to the documents to be copied before carefully looking through the rest of the file.

There was plenty of information, but other than the additional paintings they hadn't been aware of, they hadn't found anything that would really aid their case. When they'd looked through the files, Hanna returned, and they asked for copies of what they needed, and when she returned she informed them that she would be going to lunch in an hour and that the research library closed for the day at that time.

Dieter began asking her questions in German, and at first she shook her head, but then Dieter must have hit on something because she nodded and went to the catalogs once again.

Dieter explained to Gerald, “I asked her if the information was filed under the paintings rather than the family. At first she said no, but when I asked if they kept records by artist, she agreed to look. I don't know if there is anything, but we can try."

Hanna helped the others in the room, and they waited, the clock ticking down until closing time. Finally, she returned with another folio. “These are some documents on our Pirktls. I'll be back to make any copies you need in fifteen minutes, and then I have to close."

Gerald nodded. “Danke,” Gerald said with a smile as Dieter began looking through the documents. There wasn't time to read them in detail, but Dieter said that some of the documents appeared to reference
The Woman in Blue,
so Gerald made a command decision and had the entire folio copied, knowing he was probably throwing away the money, but what the hell. They could come back tomorrow to follow up on anything else, and they needed to look into the other collections to maintain their cover. Gerald knew that even though Hanna was being professionally helpful, she was also monitoring every document they looked at. Hanna made the copies, and Gerald paid her almost two hundred Euros for them before thanking her and placing the copies in his case.