art seized by Nazis found

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

£1bn haul of art seized by Nazis found in squalid Munich flat: 1,500 works by masters such as Picasso, Renoir and Matisse hidden behind tins of noodles, fruit and beans

Customs officials discovered the treasure trove of at least 1,500 pictures in a dishevelled apartment in Munich (pictured centre). They were being held by a man called Cornelius Gurlitt, who father, Hildebrandt (pictured top left), amassed a collection during the war when Jews gave away priceless masterpieces in exchange for a passage to safety. Art historians examining the collection claim up to 300 of the Gurlitt collection appeared in a Nazi exhibition called Degenerate Art - displaying what they deemed to be poor. The rest were bought at 'shamefully' low prices from Jews in exchange for an escape route out of the country.