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Orpheus Clock: The Search for My Family's Art Treasures Stolen by the Nazis
Orpheus Clock: The Search for My Family's Art Treasures Stolen by the Nazis | Simon Goodman
8 posts | 3 read | 39 to read
The passionate, gripping, true story of one man s single-minded quest to reclaim what the Nazis stole from his family, their beloved art collection, and to restore their legacy. Simon Goodman s grandparents came from German-Jewish banking dynasties and perished in concentration camps. And that s almost all he knew about them his father rarely spoke of their family history or heritage. But when he passed away, and Simon received his father s old papers, a story began to emerge. The Gutmanns, as they were known then, rose from a small Bohemian hamlet to become one of Germany s most powerful banking families. They also amassed a magnificent, world-class art collection that included works by Degas, Renoir, Botticelli, Guardi, and many, many others. But the Nazi regime snatched from them everything they had worked to build: their remarkable art, their immense wealth, their prominent social standing, and their very lives. Simon grew up in London with little knowledge of his father s efforts to recover their family s prized possessions. It was only after his father s death that Simon began to piece together the clues about the Gutmanns stolen legacy and the Nazi looting machine. He learned much of the collection had gone to Hitler and Hermann Goering; other works had been smuggled through Switzerland, sold and resold to collectors and dealers, with many works now in famous museums. More still had been recovered by Allied forces only to be stolen again by heartless bureaucrats European governments quietly absorbed thousands of works of art into their own collections. Through painstaking detective work across two continents, Simon has been able to prove that many works belonged to his family, and successfully secure their return. With the help of his family, Simon initiated the first Nazi looting case to be settled in the United States. They also brought about the first major restitution in The Netherlands since the post-war era. Goodman s dramatic story, told with great heart, reveals a rich family history almost obliterated by the Nazis. It is not only the account of a twenty-year long detective hunt for family treasure, but an unforgettable tale of redemption and restoration."
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throwmeabook
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Staying at the Mountain Shadows Resort in Paradise Valley, AZ and what a wonderful sight to see in our room - books to read! ❤️📚

review
kspenmoll
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Pickpick

#Aprella #Itsashame #Aprilbookishmadness #coffeetime #springclean #
It‘s 67 out! Cleaned off porch chairs so I can read, listen to birds,enjoy a cup of coffee. Finished tagged book.Many emotions,beyond words:riveting, heartbreaking. agonizing.One man & his family‘s quest to recover Nazi‘s looting of art/their possession, generational consequences. Nations & art world‘s attitudes towards restitution-infuriating. #itsashame;Goodman never gives up.💔

Cinfhen I loved this book, I thought it was really fascinating and at the same time infuriating what the countries did AFTER the war....porch looks super cozy💙great reading spot 7y
emilyhaldi I thought I already had this stacked but I guess not! 🤷🏻‍♀️ oh well, I do now!! 7y
Mdargusch Stacking this too! Glad you‘re finally getting spring weather! 🌞 7y
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kspenmoll @Cinfhen It was your review that got me to stack the book ages ago- thank you! 7y
kspenmoll @emilyhaldi @Mdargusch Do read it! ❤️💔 7y
Suet624 Oooh, I‘ll have to check this out! 7y
66 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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LeahBergen
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This is the true story of a man‘s quest to reclaim his family‘s art collection, stolen by the Nazis.

And I blame @Cinfhen for “making” me buy it. 😉

# 🎨
#EmojiNov

Cinfhen Hope you got it from BookDepository 💖💖💖and I hope you love it as much as I did!!! Great choice 🙌🏻 7y
LeahBergen @Cinfhen I got it (nice and cheap) from Book Outlet. 👍🏻 7y
Cinfhen I meant Book Outlet... yay!!! 7y
LeahBergen @Cinfhen Book-this, Book-that ... I always have to stop and think before picking which one I mean. 😆 7y
Cinfhen Truth!!! Glad u snagged the book at a good price!!! Makes it even better!!! 7y
111 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Cinfhen
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#GiveawayREALtalk @Liberty the last NF I read was this magnificent family memoir from Simon Goodman. He traces his family's history from the late 1800's Prussia through the Holocaust and continuing until today. It's a true rags to riches story with so many unimaginable horrors along the way. Including the looting and pillorying of his family's incredible art collection and his fight to regain ownership of what was stolen by the Nazis.

79 likes5 stack adds
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Cinfhen
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Pickpick

I'm forever humbled when I read true life accounts of family history during the years leading up to and through the Holocaust. This book goes one step further as it continues decades later. How countries, individuals and institutions can continue to persecute, manipulate and deny these survivors what is rightfully theirs is deplorable. Beautifully written, the Gutmann's story is poignant and heartbreaking. Highly recommended 🙌🏻

LeahBergen Stacked. 👍🏻 7y
[DELETED] 3803335244 Great review! Added to my TBR 7y
RohitSawant Fantastic review! 7y
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Cinfhen Thanks so much @rohit-sawant @ForeverNerdy @LeahBergen there's a lot to say about this one, really fascinating and deeply moving 7y
Cinfhen I picked it up from BookOutlet for really cheap @LeahBergen 7y
TrishB Great review. I think this is another one lost on my kindle tbr! 7y
LeahBergen I just added it to my Book Outlet shopping cart. 😂 7y
minkyb Great review. 7y
Cinfhen Find it and read it @TrishB it's really chock full of history and art history ~ it's good @minkyb definitely a library request!!! 7y
125 likes19 stack adds10 comments
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Cinfhen
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@Jess7 #AwesomeAutumnBooks I LOVE memoirs ~ my favorite genre❤️These are meant to be #marvelousmemoirs 📚a bunch are on my #TBRbingo 😌

Captivatedbybooks Just an FYI i ugly cried 7y
See All 14 Comments
Kalalalatja I were wondering, have you tried reading graphic memoirs? I know you have some troubles with graphic novels, but graphic memoirs might be a better fit for you, since you love memoirs so much 😊 7y
Cinfhen I've tried a few @Kalalalatja and while I appreciated the artistry I felt it took away from the story 7y
[DELETED] 3803335244 Angela's Ashes is such a great book, I also read the sequel T'is & loved it! My oldest son is reading it now. I recommended it to him. I didn't like the movie though. Great reads here! 7y
Kaylamburson Running with Scissors is an amazing, powerful book. I loved that one. 7y
readinginthedark Nice! I love memoirs! Have you read Portia de Rossi's memoir about her struggles with an eating disorder? 7y
britt_brooke Love Augusten! And Angela's Ashes. 💚 Memoir is probably my favorite genre as well. 🙌🏻 7y
Cinfhen Just added it @readinginthedark thanks for the suggestion 😘My next memoir read is gonna be @Kaylamburson @britt_brooke 7y
Cinfhen How old is your son @ForeverNerdy who's reading 7y
Kaylamburson Yay @Cinfhen! I read it in high school, but I would love to reread it now as I think I would get much more out of it. 7y
Cinfhen Wow! That's impressive @ForeverNerdy my son is turning 16 and I can barely get him to read his school assignments.... 7y
122 likes1 stack add14 comments
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Hobbinol
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"Still, as I got older, I began to understand, or at least was better able to appreciate, the profound effect that this tragic family history had exerted on my father-- and later, through him, on me." #bookmarksfestival : photo of author, Simon Goodman

LeahBergen This sounds amazing. 8y
17 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Marla
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Pickpick

This made me sad and angry. I can't believe that the Jews of the Holocaust still are having troubles getting their art back and how unhelpful countries, organizations, and individuals are with the return of the property even when a family member has documented proof.

19 likes4 stack adds