Magen David Adom, heir to collection of Harry Fuld, Recovers Matisse in France, Receives Restitution in Berlin

The UK branch of the Magen David Adom, a charity that (along with branches in many other countries) supports Israel's medical emergency services, is actively seeking restitution related to the art collection of Harry Fuld. Mr. Fuld was a Jewish Frankfurt entrepreneur whose company made equipment for telephones and telegraphs when the industry was young. Magen David Adom recently has had two notable successes: recovering a Matisse painting, "Le Mur Rose", that since 2000 had been at the French National Museum at the Centre Pompidou (Beaubourg) in Paris; and receiving financial compensation for a Fuld collection fifteenth-century alabaster relief that ended up in one of the Berlin museums administered by the Prussian Cultural Foundation.

Harry Fuld died in 1932 and left his collection to his son, Harry Jr. who in 1937 had it crated for shipment to follow him out of Germany. Fuld escaped to the United Kingdom, but his collection was seized. Harry Fuld Jr. died in 1963, leaving his estate to Gisela Martin, a resident of Switzerland, who bequeathed it to the UK's Magen David Adom. The organization has located other pieces from the extensive collection and is pursuing negotiations and leads to recover other works of art.