A Czech museum has finally returned a suitcase of artwork and letters from the Theresienstadt ghetto to its rightful owner, Judy King. The small collection of 681 drawings, poems, and love letters was created by Jewish artist and poet Peter Kien between 1941 and 1944 while he was imprisoned in the ghetto during World War II.
Kien's lover, Helga Wolfenstein, had collected the suitcase before his death at Auschwitz in 1944. After her own death in 2003, King made a promise to return the collection to its rightful owner. For over three decades, King worked tirelessly to recover the suitcase and its contents, which were initially confiscated by the communists.
The artworks include life drawings of figures on a single sheet of paper, sketches of men's heads and a man playing the guitar, as well as love letters written in English, Czech, and German. Kien was a meticulous record keeper, but the communist regime that took over after the war did not keep records of such items.
The suitcase was initially stored at the Terezín Memorial Museum in Prague, which had been established to commemorate those who died in the Theresienstadt ghetto during World War II. However, King and her cousin, Peter, worked with museum officials for nearly a decade to recover the collection.
Judy King said that it took all of their efforts to finally overcome the hurdle of getting the artworks past customs officials, but ultimately they were able to bring them back to London. The collection is now being stored at the Wiener Holocaust Library, where it will be preserved and available for research.
King's mother, Helga Wolfenstein, had been an anglophile who worked for the Post Office in London before settling in America. She would likely have been thrilled to know that her artwork was finally being returned to its rightful home, said Howard Falksohn, senior archivist of the library.
The collection joins nearly 100 other works by Kien held in the library's archive, which were smuggled out during the communist era.
Kien's lover, Helga Wolfenstein, had collected the suitcase before his death at Auschwitz in 1944. After her own death in 2003, King made a promise to return the collection to its rightful owner. For over three decades, King worked tirelessly to recover the suitcase and its contents, which were initially confiscated by the communists.
The artworks include life drawings of figures on a single sheet of paper, sketches of men's heads and a man playing the guitar, as well as love letters written in English, Czech, and German. Kien was a meticulous record keeper, but the communist regime that took over after the war did not keep records of such items.
The suitcase was initially stored at the Terezín Memorial Museum in Prague, which had been established to commemorate those who died in the Theresienstadt ghetto during World War II. However, King and her cousin, Peter, worked with museum officials for nearly a decade to recover the collection.
Judy King said that it took all of their efforts to finally overcome the hurdle of getting the artworks past customs officials, but ultimately they were able to bring them back to London. The collection is now being stored at the Wiener Holocaust Library, where it will be preserved and available for research.
King's mother, Helga Wolfenstein, had been an anglophile who worked for the Post Office in London before settling in America. She would likely have been thrilled to know that her artwork was finally being returned to its rightful home, said Howard Falksohn, senior archivist of the library.
The collection joins nearly 100 other works by Kien held in the library's archive, which were smuggled out during the communist era.
So they're just now returning this suitcase after all these years? I mean, what took so long? It's not like it was a treasure hunt or anything. I guess it's good that Judy King and her cousin persisted, but 30+ years is a pretty long time to hold onto something like that. And who's to say the communists didn't just lose track of it or something? 
Sources, pls!
. And what's with all these online archives, just a digital copy of some paper thingy? When are they gonna make a real replica or something? 
!!! The story is so emotional, and I can imagine how frustrating it must've been for her to wait all these years trying to get the collection back from customs officials 
. It's like, can you even believe that it was locked away in a museum for so long?! 
... it's like, the ultimate closure for Judy King and her family. I'm literally getting all teary-eyed thinking about Helga Wolfenstein, Judy's mom, who must've been so proud to know her artwork was being returned home 
And 3 decades? That's crazy. I guess you could say she's been on a mission since she was like 10 years old. 
I'm glad it all worked out in the end, but what about all those other people who had art and letters taken from them during that time? It feels like justice is just so slow sometimes... 
this is an amazing comeback for the artwork and letters created by Peter Kien while he was imprisoned in Theresienstadt ghetto 
. it's heartbreaking to think about how long it took Judy King and her cousin to get the collection back to its rightful owner, but she never gave up 
. it's also a testament to the power of perseverance and determination 
. the fact that these artworks were hidden away for so long is just a sad reminder of the atrocities that happened during WWII, but now they'll get to shine in their new home at the Wiener Holocaust Library 
.
. Can you believe it took Judy King over 3 decades to get her uncle Peter's art back? I mean, I know it's a long time coming but still... the thought of all those artwork and love letters being stuck in storage for so long must be heartbreaking 
. I mean, Peter Kien was an artist who was ripped from his life and forced to create this incredible collection of art... it's just a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is always beauty to be found 
.
. The artworks are incredible, especially the love letters written in three languages - that's just so romantic 
what's crazy is that the communists took over and didnt keep records of this stuff, talk about some bad record-keeping skills 
anyway, i'm glad judy king persevered & got to see her fams art again 
after all those years. i mean what a labor of love & dedication from Judy and her cousin Peter working with museum officials for nearly a decade 
it's like they say perseverance is key 
.
I mean, I'm all about productivity & getting stuff done, but sometimes you just gotta let the past be what it is and make amends 
. And to think those artworks were stored at this museum for ages without anyone even knowing who they belonged to... Talk about a lost piece of history 
! Anyway, glad they're finally back in London where Helga Wolfenstein grew up 
I'm so glad they finally got that suitcase back to Judy King! It's crazy to think about how long it took them to get past customs and all 
. I mean, Peter Kien's art is worth way more than any money 
. We should be celebrating the fact that his story is finally getting the recognition it deserves 
!
... feels like such a long time coming 
. I mean, who needs bureaucracy when you have art and love letters 
. It's not often you hear about someone working through customs with artworks, that's some skillz right there 
! Anyway, I'm glad this suitcase is finally home in the Wiener Holocaust Library where it'll be safe to be appreciated for generations to come 
I remember when Google was still a new thing and Wikipedia didn't have all that much info on WWII, but I guess back then the communists were just as sneaky about confiscating art stuff as they are now