Gurlitt will recover many paintings looted by Nazis

BERLIN (AFP) - The heir of a Nazi-era art dealer said yesterday that he has struck an accord with the German government setting a one-year deadline to recover his vast hoard of paintings.

Cornelius Gurlitt, 81 years old, will likely get back many of the hundreds of artworks that were seized by German authorities.

But the deal will also speed up the search for rightful owners of the works, many of which are believed to have been looted from Jewish collectors under Adolf Hitler.

Gurlitt had stashed around 1400 artworks in his Munich apartment including long-lost paintings by Picasso, Matisse and Chagall.

"Works on which provenance research cannot be completed by the task force within the year will be returned to Cornelius Gurlitt", the parties said, referring to a government body researching ownership claims.

"If restitution claims are made or could arise at the end of the year deadline, the works will remain held by a trust".

Gurlitt will appoint one expert to the task force to ensure his interests are represented, while the costs for the provenance research will be picked up by the state. More than 200 paintings, sketches and sculptures discovered in a separate home of Gurlitt's in Salzburg, Austria including works by Monet, Manet, Cezanne and Gauguin are not covered by the German agreement.

A priceless Matisse will be returned to claimants, according to Mr. Gurlitt. The German authorities had confiscated the Munich works in February 2012.

Bavarian Justice Minister Winfried Bausback said: "The whole world has been watching to see what answer we find to these questions and this deal is a good answer".

"But there has been absolutely no change to our clearly stated position that the paintings in question will be returned", Mr. Gurlitt's lawyer said.