Officials may soon return some artworks to recluse
BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors investigating a huge art trove found in Munich are planning to return works to collector Cornelius Gurlitt once they are confirmed as belonging to him and not stolen by the Nazis.
Augsburg prosecutor Reinhard Nemetz said in a statement Tuesday that he asked a newly established government task force to identify the owners of the more than 1,400 works as soon as possible and return to Gurlitt those pieces that belong to him without a doubt.
Authorities found the paintings and art works in Gurlitt's apartment in February 2012 while investigating a tax case, though the find only became public through media reports last month. The government has said 590 pieces may have been looted by the Nazis.
