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November 7, 2013 Herr Staatsanwalt Reinhard Nemetz Leitender Oberstaatsanwalt Staatsanwaltschaft Augsburg Ggginger Strae 101 86199 Augsburg

Re: Paintings Located in Bavaria Dear Staatsanwalt Nemetz: I am writing to you in light of the revelation that nearly 1,500 works of art that may have been looted during the Nazi era are now in your custody. The New York State Department of Financial Services Holocaust Claims Processing Office (HCPO) has advocated on behalf of Holocaust victims and their heirs, seeking the just and orderly return of assets to their rightful owners, since 1997. It is the only office of its kind and its reach is world-wide; the office has received claims from thousands of individuals located in 40 different countries. Among our many claims, we are currently working with more than 130 individuals on cases for thousands of artworks lost as a result of Nazi persecution. To date, the HCPO has recovered 75 works of art and $165 million in other assets for victims and their heirs. One of the hallmarks of our efforts has been to work with different agencies across the globe toward the goal of settling claims as swiftly as possible. While it has been reported that an art historian, Meike Hoffmann, has been appointed to review the discovered artworks, to ensure that looted artworks are returned to their rightful owners as promptly as possible, this cannot be a one person task. Given the challenges inherent in provenance research, we are offering assistance in identifying and returning works of art involved in this case that were unjustly seized during the Nazi era. As a preliminary measure, I respectfully request that you provide information on the artwork to governmental as well as non-governmental agencies that handle matters of restitution, including the HCPO, the Koordinierungsstelle Magdeburg, the BADV, CIVS in France, the Restitutions Committee in the Netherlands, the Commission for Looted Art in Europe in the UK, and the Commission for Art Recovery, to name but a few. The interagency cooperation of our organizations can work to identify the rightful owners of any potential looted artworks as well as help ensure that these efforts do not negatively impact any ongoing investigations.

We also believe you should work as swiftly as practicable to publish a list of artwork that has been identified to help make sure that any seized artwork is returned to Holocaust victims and their heirs who have waited decades for closure. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Sincerely,

Benjamin M. Lawsky Superintendent New York State Department of Financial Services

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