The daughter of a Nazi who took a painting from a Jewish man during the Holocaust has been dragged before a judge and charged with concealing the artwork.
Patricia Kadgien has been under house arrest since earlier this week in her home in the seaside town of Mar del Plata, Argentina.
She is the daughter of Friedrich Kadgien, a key aide to Adolf Hitler’s monstrous Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering, who fled to South America after the war.
Patricia, who also goes by her middle name Monica, and her husband Juan Carlos Cortegoso, were charged Thursday with aggravated concealment of property for possessing the painting ‘Portrait of a Lady,’ reported Argentine outlet InfoBrias.
Local prosecutor Carlos Martinez said that ‘the crimes being covered up are serious, linked to crimes of genocide, theft in the context of genocide, and are related to a systematic plan to appropriate works of art and jewelry perpetrated by the Nazi regime.’
Police raided Patricia’s home last week looking for the painting, but found a tapestry had been put in its place.
This is the daughter of a fugitive Nazi who took a painting stolen from a Jewish art dealer. Above: Patricia Kadgien, now 59, poses with a glass of wine in 2014 in an image unearthed by the Daily Mail
Last night, Portrait of a Lady was finally recovered by Argentine authorities and then paraded to the media – the first time it had been seen since being seized from Amsterdam dealer Jacques Goudstikker more than 80 years ago. Above: Portrait of a Lady, behind art expert Ariel Bassano as he speaks to the media
Friedrich Kadgien, a key aide to monstrous Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering, fled to the country after the Second World War and died there in 1978. Above: Kadgien in 1954 with Antoinette Imfeld, the wife of Swiss lawyer Ernst Imfeld. The lawyer helped Kadgien flee from Switzerland to South America
On Tuesday, the 65-year-old heiress finally admitted to having the long sought-after portrait and hiding it from investigators.
The 1743 canvass by artist Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi was owned by Jewish Dutch art dealer Jacques Goudstikker during World War II.
The painting was reported looted and is on the official registry for valuables pilfered by the Nazis, with the discovery sparking an international investigation and headlines around the world.
The family of Goudstikker are urging courts and police to return the painting to them.
This is a developing story and will be updated.