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18th-Century Painting Stolen By Nazis 80-Years-Ago Recovered From Argentinian Property Listing 

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Authorities in Argentina have recovered the long-lost Portrait of a Lady (Contessa Colleoni) by Italian master Giuseppe Ghislandi. The painting from the 18th-century was stolen more than 80 years ago by the Nazis from a Jewish art dealer in Amsterdam.

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The painting was spotted in a real estate listing, marking the first sighting of it since it was looted in the second world war. It was given to the Argentinian judiciary this week by Patricia Kadgien, the daughter of the late Nazi financier Friedrich Kadgien. Both Patricia and her husband have been under house arrest since Tuesday. 

Prosecutors are alleging that the couple tried to conceal the stolen artwork, and the two are now facing a hearing on charges of concealment and obstruction of justice. 

Dutch Newspaper AD found the painting after opening their own years-long investigation and tracing the painting to Kadgien’s house in an online property listing in the city of Mar del Plata. 

A photo in the listing showed the missing artwork hanging above a sofa in the living room of the home. AD then published their findings on August 25th. 

The painting was last seen in 1946, and belonged to Dutch Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. 

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After AD made their findings public, federal prosecutor Carlos Martínez ordered a raid of the entire property. However, when officials arrived at the home, the painting was no longer there, but the police were able to seize two unlicensed firearms and two mobile phones. 

Four additional raids took place this week in which two other paintings, several drawings, and engravings were found. The paintings are believed to be from the 19th century, and the judiciary is currently analyzing the works to tell if they were also stolen during the second world war. 

A federal court in Mar del Plata placed Kadgien and her husband under 72-hour house arrest this week. After the fall of the Third Reich at the end of the war, several high-ranking Nazi officials fled to South America, and Friedrich Kadgien was one of them. 

He initially fled the Netherlands in 1946, first going to Switzerland, then Brazil, then to Argentina where he had two daughters. 

The painting was likely with him during his travels and has remained in his family’s possession after his death in 1978. 

The portrait was among more than 1,000 works of art stolen by Nazis from Goudstikker, who died back in 1940. 

Goudstikker’s heirs are now planning to reclaim the painting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Vows Nation Will Emerge Victorious From War With Russia 

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Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to their citizens to acknowledge Victory Day, an annual celebration of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. 

Zelenskyy recounted Ukraine’s role fighting Nazi invaders who took over the western Soviet Union. 

“Today we celebrate the Day of Victory over Nazism, and we will not give anyone a single piece of our history. Our enemy dreamed that we would refuse to celebrate May 9th and the victory over Nazism, so that the ‘deNazification’ gets a chance. Millions of Ukranians fought Nazism.”

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The Times tweeted how “President Zelenskyy vowed that his country would emerge victorious from its war. He said ‘The road to it is difficult, but we have no doubt that we will win.’”

Zelenskyy also argues that Putin is currently emulating the Nazi invaders from 80 years ago. 

“The one who is repeating the horrific crimes of Hitler’s regime today — following Nazi philosophy, copying everything he did — he is doomed. We won then. We will win now. Very soon, there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine.”

Russian President Putin’s speech on Victory Day justified the war as he gave a defense of his country. While Zelenskyy delivered his message through a pre-recorded video located between anti tank barriers in Kyiv, Putin delivered his address to Moscow’s Red Square before a massive military parade.

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“Defending the motherland when its fate is being decided has always been sacred, today you are fighting for our people in Donbas, for the security of Russia, our homeland,” Putin said, comparing the current conflict to the World War II efforts to remove Nazi Germany’s invading armies. 

Putin continued to justify the war with Ukraine, calling it “inevitable.”

“The Kremlin had proposed a treaty to NATO last year that would guarantee Russia’s security. But that was in vain. The NATO countries did not want to hear us. And that means in fact that they had very different plans, and we could see that. They openly were preparing for yet another punitive operation in Donbas for an invasion of our historic lands in Crimea,” Putin explained. 

“NATO has been actively developing countries that border Russia. An expansion of this Western military alliance was an absolutely unacceptable threat. The death of each one of our soldiers and officers is our shared grief and an irreparable loss for their friends and relatives,” he said.