Hunt Museum to probe Nazi link claims

THE Hunt Museum is to ask a senior judge to begin an investigation into claims that some artefacts in the precious collection are treasures looted by the Nazis.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting convened by the museum’s executive board yesterday in response to the allegations made by Jewish human rights organisation the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

The judge will form a review group with a senior academic and a museum expert from outside Ireland to advise the museum on the expertise and resources it will need to fully investigate the history and prior ownership of the items under suspicion.

The board said it hoped to be in a position to announce the names of the review group members in the next week and that they would report to the museum and Minister for Arts, John O’Donoghue, as quickly as possible.

A professional archival association is also to be asked to nominate an archivist to compile for publication a detailed list and description of the museum’s entire collection which contains over 2,000 pieces of art and antiquities.

In the meantime, existing catalogue information on individual objects on display in the Limerick city museum is to be placed on the museum’s website for immediate public scrutiny.

Chairman of the board George Stacpoole said after the meeting the Hunt Museum and the Hunt family were going through a very difficult time as a result of the questions raised.

“It is causing great distress to the Hunt family, the management and staff of the museum and to the large number of voluntary workers who are so essential to its success,” he said.

“On the other hand, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre is a respected international organisation whose concerns must be given serious consideration by the museum. The board, therefore, considered it appropriate to set in train a comprehensive and independent process for dealing with the allegations made by the centre.”

Mr Stacpoole said in taking this action, the board had the full support of John and Trudy Hunt, trustees of the collection which was originally put together by their parents, the late John and Gertrude Hunt, for their private enjoyment.

Among its treasures brought from every corner of the world are works by Renoir and Picasso, and household items and crafts from the Neolithic period which dates to 4,500 BC.

Questions about the origin of some of the pieces in the collection were raised in a letter sent by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre to museum patron President Mary McAleese last month in which it was claimed the John and Gertrude Hunt had business links with Nazi art dealers.

President McAleese passed the letter to the Government who referred it to Mr O’Donoghue for inquiry. A spokesperson for the minister said yesterday he was being kept informed of developments.