'Holy Trinity' Back in Poland

On Februay 4, 2001 accomplishing the effort undertaken by the National Museum in Warsaw, the Polish Embassy in Washington and our Honorary Consul in Miami, Georg Pencz's painting the Holy Trinity returned to Warsaw's National Museum. Taking part in the transfer ceremony at the Polish General Consulate in New York were Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, representatives of Florida's Dade Country, Richard Farwell, the curator of Miami's Vizcaya Museum, where the Holy Trinity had been kept up till now, and National Museum director Ferdynand Ruszczyc. I am happy the painting is returning to its rightful owner. I hope this will be a symbolic gesture that will also encourage other museums,' Richard Farwell said. Similar sentiments were expressed by President Aleksander Kwaśniewski who thanked the Miami authorities for returning the work that had been stolen by the Germans in World War II. The museum learnt that it had belonged to Poles from a book published in Germany. Efforts to recover the painting were launched in July 2001, being part of the ongoing process carried out by the state and individual institution of Poland, aiming at the final restitution of cultural goods stolen and taken out of Poland during World War II. At present several farther claims presented by Polish side are being under consideration of respective American institution.