Official Handover of a French Painting to its Homeland after 75 Years
"I want to give back something that does not belong to me"
July 25th, 2019
On July 23th, Peter Forner, a 80-year-old citizen of Berlin, decided to return to France a work by the French painter, Nicolas Rousseau. The ceremony has been attended by the Ambassador of France to Germany, H.E. Anne-Marie Descôtes.
The painting - untitled - had been brought from France to Germany by the German officer Alfred Forner, Peter's father, during the Second World War and it had remained in his family for 75 years. The handover of the painting means for Peter Forner a way to tackle the common past and to improve the friendship between the two countries.
From now on, the painting will be conserved and exhibited in a public institution in Normandy, until its history will be clarified, in order to determine where the work comes from. The French Embassy to Germany thanks Peter Forner for this impressive gesture and hopes that the painting will return soon to its original owner.
