The German state of Bavaria has announced the return of four paintings identified as Nazi-looted art to their rightful owners, marking a significant step in the region's efforts to address its controversial handling of stolen artwork from the World War II era. The Bavarian State Painting Collections revealed that the restitution represents part of a broader initiative to bring more transparency and speed to provenance research and art restitution processes.

Two paintings by Franz Sigrist the Elder, titled "Lot and His Daughters" and "Abraham Hosting the Three Angels," will be returned to the heirs of the former Munich art dealership Brothers Lion. The business was forced to close in 1936 under pressure from the Nazi regime. Additionally, the painting "Saint Anne with the Virgin and Child" by a student of Lucas Cranach the Elder will be returned to the descendants of Ernst Magnus, a persecuted Jewish director of the Commerz- und Disconto-Bank in Hannover. Magnus had sold the artwork to finance his family's escape from Nazi Germany.

A fourth painting, "At the Tavern Table" by Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann, has also been identified as looted art, though the State Painting Collections indicated that the rightful heirs have not yet been definitively determined. The restitution decisions are based on research conducted by the Department of Provenance Research at the newly established State Museum Agency Bavaria, which determined that all four works constitute Nazi-looted art.

For a fifth work, "Young Girl with Straw Hat" by Friedrich von Amerling, the case will be referred to the new nationwide arbitration court for Nazi-looted art for a final decision. The State Painting Collections described these five cases as "an expression of more transparency and speed in provenance research and restitution."

Bavaria has long faced criticism for its approach to returning stolen Nazi art. In February of this year, press reports exposed problems within the State Painting Collections, particularly regarding the institution's handling of potential Nazi-looted art – works that were taken from or extorted from Jewish owners during the Nazi period. Critics characterized the review process for such suspected cases as non-transparent and sluggish, with some even alleging cover-up attempts.

The controversy led to significant leadership changes within the organization. In early April, longtime General Director Bernhard Maaz was forced to step down. His successor, lawyer Anton Biebl, took over on an interim basis. The former Munich cultural affairs director inherited a challenging situation, as he is also tasked with serving as a change manager to advance the state museums overall.

The current goal focuses on rebuilding trust and working transparently, especially in debates surrounding the return of Nazi-looted art. According to Bavaria's Art Minister Markus Blume, the State Painting Collections have entered more than 200 works into the Lost Art database since February. This database allows former owners and their heirs to search for stolen art objects so they can reclaim them. The collection had previously been criticized for entering far too few of its works suspected of being looted art into the system.

"With the return of these four works, we cannot heal the cruel injustice done to the owners. But we can make an attempt at reparation toward the victims and send a signal: We are working intensively on addressing Nazi injustices – since this spring with more speed, more transparency, and more results," said Blume, a member of the Christian Social Union party.

Interim General Director Biebl emphasized the significance of the restitutions, stating, "The return of the four paintings is for us another important step in continuing to work through our collection's history. We take very seriously the responsibility for thorough provenance research." The announcements signal Bavaria's commitment to addressing its past reluctance in handling Nazi-looted art cases and establishing new standards for transparency in the restitution process.