Gotha (dpa/th) – The special exhibition “Back in Gotha – the lost masterpieces” ends on Sunday at Friedenstein Castle in Gotha with a final tour. The show was dedicated to five paintings that had been stolen from the castle in 1979 and only returned to Gotha at the beginning of August 2020.
The theft of the five valuable old master paintings – including works by Hans Holbein the Elder. and Frans Hals – is considered the largest art robbery in the GDR. In addition to the paintings, historical documents were exhibited, ranging from the old collection inventories to handwritten letters and Stasi files. The presentation was supplemented by reacquired paintings from the old ducal collection that had been sold or lost in the war. A shadow gallery also presented non-recurring images.
