Christie’s Auction House and the Nazi Auction

By Chaim Diamond

It was a disgusting move on the part of Christie’s Auction House. On May 10th 2023, this company held a sale of stolen jewelry put up for auction by the family of the late Helmut Horton – a Nazi criminal who made his enormous fortune from taking over the businesses of Jews during the Holocaust. Despite many protests by Jewish organizations, the sale went ahead.

Christies was not unaware of their contemptible actions.

And now, to add fuel to the fire, Christie’s is attempting to whitewash what they did by holding a conference at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art – where they held the auction. What is the topic of the conference? The topic is the restitution of stolen art by the Nazis.

Some of the Jewish organizations, including Shurat HaDin, sent a warning letter to both Tania Coen-Uzzielli, the Director of the Museum and to Ron Huldai, the Mayor of Tel Aviv, demanding to immediately cancel thie event.

This morning, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art has publicly announced that it will not go forward with Christie’s planned conference, acknowledging that it is “attentive to criticism.”

Helmut Horten y”s (1909 –1987) owned the fourth-largest chain of department stores in Germany, Horten AG. He acquired what was to form the essence of his company from the Jewish owners, Strauß and Lauter, who fled to the United States. He was aided in this transaction by the banker Wilhelm Reinhold of the Commerz- and Disconto-Bank. The bank was to become a partner in the newly formed Horten & Co. Horten had a strong relationship with the Nazis.

jUpdates.com welcomes the Tel Aviv Museum of Art decision and hopes that both Ms. Uzzielli and Mr. Huldai will continue to show sensitivity to holocaust victims.