Mauritshuis must return painting to heirs, says Minister Letschert

Minister Letschert has ordered the Mauritshuis museum to return the 1651 painting Fishermen on the Banks of a Lake to the heirs of Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. The decision follows a recommendation from the Restitutions Committee, which concluded that the art dealer involuntarily lost the piece due to circumstances directly linked to the Nazi regime during World War II. The work was seized by Hermann Göring without the consent of Goudstikker’s widow, Dési, following the appointment of a pro-German director to the gallery.

While the committee's advice is technically non-binding, the ministry's policy is to adhere to its findings, making the restitution mandatory for the museum. Jacques Goudstikker, a prominent Dutch art dealer, fled the Netherlands after the German invasion in 1940 but died in an accident while traveling to England. His collection was largely plundered by Nazi officials, often facilitated by German businessman Alois Miedl. This decision reinforces the government's commitment to returning cultural assets lost during the Nazi occupation.