A book belonging to the Andriesse family, looted by the Nazis during World War II, was returned on Thursday afternoon in an official ceremony at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels.
The book Armoede by Dutch writer Ina Boudier-Bakker once belonged to Belgian Jewish philanthropists Elisabeth and Hugo Andriesse.
The museum stated that the book crossed five borders since the war before making its way back to its original owners in Belgium.
Around 17:30, a member of the Federal Public Service Economy presented the book to a representative of Elisabeth Andriesse’s heirs, in the presence of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Culture, before it was donated to the museum.
The ceremony was accompanied by a temporary exhibition titled "Stolen Jewish Heritage: The Fate of the Andriesse Collection", which detailed the couple’s life story.
The return to the Jewish Museum of Belgium of a work once looted by the Nazis, in Brussels, Thursday 07 November 2024. Credit: Belga / Lou Lampaert
After fleeing Brussels for New York in 1940, the Andriesse’s art and textile collection was looted by the Nazi occupation regime in Belgium. Part of the collection remains missing.
The curator of the exhibition and researcher at the Jewish Digital Cultural Recovery Project (JDCRP), Anne Uhrlandt, wished to highlight the couple’s influence on the Belgian cultural scene before the Second World War.
"The Andriesse couple, highly influential and socially respected in Brussels, were known for their donations to various charitable causes, regardless of gender or religion," detailed Anne Uhrlandt. "Nearly 80 years after the Holocaust, it is time to bring their names and memories back to their city of origin," she emphasised.
The museum’s director, Barbara Cuglietta, concluded that this was more than just an "object recovered"; it was an act of justice for names that deserve to be recognised.
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Correction: The book mentioned in the article has not been donated yet because of an ongoing legal proceeding which has slowed down the process. The FPS Economy intends to restitute the book to Elisabeth Andriesse’s heirs, who in turn intend to donate the book to the Jewish Museum of Belgium.
