The city doubled in size every 20 years. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. Catch the pop grooves & high energy of the Grammy-nominated band, Explore the mizrah by Israel Dov Rosenbaum that inspired. Thanks to the research for the 2019 exhibition The Ephrussis. The family name is considered to be a variation of Ephrati, as a reference to "Ephraim" in 1 Samuel 1:1, a Hebrew family name attested in the 14th century in the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal) as Efrati and later in central Europe and Russia as Ephrati or Ephrussi.[3]. See something missing? Only later, when he inherited the tiny . Let it snow, snow, snow! Im taking you on an Ephrussi tour of the city, said Rozenboim. Charless presence can be felt across the history of art in the periodhis likeness appears in the work of Edgar Degas and Auguste Renoir, and he served as a inspiration for a central character (Charles Swann) in Prousts masterpiece, In Search of Lost Time. Photo: Iwan Baan. In 1938, the familys properties and bank in Austria, controlled by Viktor Ephrussi, were seized by the Nazis after the Nazi annexation of Austria. Identifiers. But there's another kind of restitution which is what we're doing today, which is bringing back a story to Vienna. He knew they were the sole remnant of the once-vast art collection of his ancestors, the Ephrussis, a great Jewish banking family. In his will he revoked the renunciation of his possessions in Vienna, which he had been coerced to sign by the Gestapo. Gathered for the occasion from all over Europe, the United States and Mexico, some of the family previously had only a vague idea of what earlier generations had suffered. The family members were known for their connoisseurship, intellectual interests, and their huge collections of art. Money and fear of prejudice led them westwards, until twentieth century sprang its own horrible surprises on them. Unless the Court has ordered otherwise, payments to victims are . Catherine the Great founded Odessa in 1794 as a different kind of Russian city mercantile, booming and friendly to all nationalities. One of them is the eponymous hare from the book by ceramic artist and Ephrussi descendant Edmund de Waal. Please try again or choose an option below. . In 1939, it was given to the Austrian Gallery and subsequently loaned to the Army Museum. As I began to study Russian as a schoolboy, I wanted to know more. During the research work for the exhibition The Ephrussis a Journey through Time in 2019, the curators Gabriele Kohlbauer-Fritz and Tom Juncker became aware that the painting in the Museum of Military History Camp Scene from 1848 in Italy should have been restituted according to a decision from 1948. Devoted to exploring art and Jewish culture from ancient to contemporary, the Museum offers diverse exhibitions and programs, and maintains a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media reflecting the global Jewish experience over more than 4,000 years.The public may call 212.423.3200 or visit TheJewishMuseum.org for more information. The family's bank and properties were seizedby the Naziauthorities after the 1938 Anschlussannexation of Austria by Nazi Germany. Its volcanic lava. Why did they leave? Charles Joachim Ephrussi (1792-1864), from Berdichev, became wealthy controlling grain distribution beginning in the free port of Odessa (then in the Russian Empire, now in Ukraine) and later controlled large-scale oil resources across Crimea and the Caucasus. Copyright 1982-2023 All rights reserved. Director of the Jewish Museum Vienna Dr. Danielle Spera (left), Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (mid), and British Ambassador Leigh Turner (right) with the painting Camp Scene from 1848 in Italy. / Picture:Wien Holding / Jdische Museum Wien / Ouriel Morgensztern. In 1950, however, the Museum of Military History wanted to block the export of a painting by August Pettenkofen owned by the Ephrussi family. Rozenboim enjoyed my concatenation of surprises as we passed through Odessa. In 1950, however, the Museum of Military History wanted to block the export of a painting by August Pettenkofen owned by the Ephrussi family. It was clearly a member of the family, still in Odessa in the 1890s, when everybody was supposed to have left, but who was it? Unlike other news outlets, we havent put up a paywall. Now open! Another moving chapter in the story of the Viennese Jewish Ephrussi family -- made famous in the book The Hare With Amber Eyes -- has been written after around 40 members of the family reunited in the Austrian capital for the first time in decades. 0 references. Diller Scofidio + Renfro, working closely with de Waal and the Jewish Museum, has created an interpretive installation using family and loaned artifacts that trace the turbulent history of their movements through place and time. Getty. I am delighted that our museum was able to make this restitution possible as part of the research for the exhibition.. For the construction of the Villa between 1907 and 1912, she added the talents of all the experts and merchants, friends of the family . Located on New York Citys famed Museum Mile, the Jewish Museum is a distinctive hub for art and Jewish culture for people of all backgrounds. You may share using our article tools. The Ephrussis were one of the two main bankers for this trade. Birthplace: Hietzing, Wien, Wien, Austria. / Picture:Magistrat der Stadt Wien / Christian Jobst / PID, First Descendants of Nazi Victims Apply for Austrian Citizenship, Descendants of Nazi Victims Have the Right to Austrian Citizenship, Simplified Access to Austrian Citizenship for Descendants of NS Victims, Vienna City Government - Magistrat der Stadt Wien. The guesses of myself, my brother and Jewish Museum colleagues lead us to suppose that one younger brother named Stepan stuck it out in Odessa, in defiance of the rest of the family. This statue was endowed by the Ephrussis, They founded this bank. Dusk was falling as we reached the end of the tour a low-slung two-story building, its first floor painted a shabby blue, the upper storey a dingy green. Pooh Shiesty has been ordered to cough up a bunch of dough . Notable members of the Ephrussi family include: Notable properties of the family included: Descendants of the Kishinev banker Joseph Ephrusi (Efrusi): The Hare with Amber Eyes (2010) is a family memoir of the Ephrussi family by British potter Edmund de Waal, whose grandmother was Elisabeth Ephrussi. Its an astonishing moment in my life to walk around such a profound visualization and dramatization of our collective family story, 55-year-old Edmund said at the exhibition preview. Rozenboim was carrying a plastic water-bottle. 0 references. Topics: I do not want this letter to be a cause of any future problem to me and also to Jiro, who will be my heir.. As for the Palais Ephrussi itself, it was given back to the family in 1949. The Ephrussi family is a Russian Jewish banking and oil dynasty descending from Charles Joachim Ephrussi. The recovery of their stolen property directly after the end of World War II did not signal the definitive end to the Ephrussi familys restitution case. Maurice Ephrussi, french Jewish banker, married Charlotte Batrice de Rothschild (19 years old) in 1883. list of claims for restitution for Nazi-looted art. A Journey through Time, it was now possible to restitute the painting located in the Museum of Military History. The painting Camp Scene from 1848 in Italy will be on view in the exhibition The Hare with Amber Eyes at the Jewish Museum New York beginning 19 November 2021. NEW YORK, NY.- The Jewish Museum presents The Hare with Amber Eyes, an exhibition that tells the story of the Ephrussi familycelebrated in the 2010 memoir and The New York Times bestseller of the same name by Edmund de Waaland showcases the breadth and depth of their history and illustrious collections. Its a city that is elegant but not grand, Russian-speaking but not in Russia, literary and ironic, at ease with its worldly decline. The Ephrussi were once a very wealthy European Jewish family. You see, Thomas, there are two factors which remain unexplained to us to this date, he went on. In the first half of the bedroom, the Venetian bed is decorated with Chinese silk embroidered with flowers and birds.The Rothschild family had been trading silk with the land of the rising sun since 1838. A sense of trepidation lingered around the name of Odessa for my great-uncle, more than a century on. Ephrussi Name Meaning Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Of Viktor Ephrussi's countless possessions, many are still lost today, including 19 paintings from a collection of about 70 works at the time. : Paul Hi twitter.com/i/web/status/1 The Ephrussi family is a Russian Jewish banking and oil dynasty descending from Charles Joachim Ephrussi. The painting, Scene from the Italian campaign 1848/49, by painter Franz Adam, known for his depictions of equestrian and battle scenes, was originally part of the Ephrussi collection. ephrussi family restitution. Subscribe for one year to receive ten print issues, and gain immediate access to our online archive spanning more than four decades of art and cultural criticism. Thanks to research on The Ephrussis. Charles Ephrussi was a key figure in the Paris art world of the time, friend of Auguste Renoir and patron of other Impressionist artists, as well as the inspiration for the character of Swann in the works of Marcel Proust. Succs d'dition, cet ouvrage majeur, boycott notamment par des mdias franais Juifs, prsente une anthologie chronologique de rcits de tmoins oculaires en Algrie et au Maroc sur les Juifs. The familys history is one of splendor in Viennas Belle Epoque heyday before persecution under the Nazis scattered it across the world. The thread that runs through his book is the spellbinding collection of 264 netsuke, tiny and exquisitely crafted Japanese sculptures first collected by Viktor Ephrussis Parisian cousin Charles. The show, also called "The Hare with Amber Eyes," will bring together artwork, ephemera, documents, photographs and other objects that trace the Ephrussi family history beginning in the 17th . Now, their descendants were coming back, searching for their roots including me. Please check individual images for licensing details. Of Viktor Ephrussis countless possessions, many are still lost today, including 19 paintings from a collection of about 70 works at the time. They were bankers, grandees, philanthropists and. But I thought immediately of one man who did qualify my great-uncle, Ignace (Iggie). Regarding the restitution, the Director of the Jewish Museum Vienna Dr. Danielle Spera said, It is a great pleasure that after the Jewish Museum Vienna received the generous donation of the Ephrussi family archive, we were able to help achieve the restitution of this painting. According to legal . However, as the city was still occupied and heavily damaged from the war, it fetched just 30,000 dollars when sold. However, as the city was still occupied and heavily damaged from the war, it fetched just 30,000 dollars when sold. Learn more: twitter.com/i/web/status/1 My grandmother was Elisabeth Ephrussi, born in Vienna in 1899. I knew that Elisabeths father Viktor the man after whom my own father was named had been born in Odessa. As for the Palais Ephrussi itself, it was given back to the family in 1949. However, in 2019, the rightful heir had not yet been researched, so this was not possible. This is also thanks to the excellent research work of our team, which determined the history of this painting., Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, who assisted in the restitution, said The Museum of Military History, or rather our department, wanted to hand over this painting to the rightful heir of Viktor Ephrussi within the limits of legal possibilities, following the recommendation of the Art Restitution Advisory Board, which are in the possession of the federal government. Installation view of The Hare with Amber Eyes at the Jewish Museum, New York. The Ephrussi family(French pronunciation: Russian Jewishbanking and oil dynasty. The Ephrussis Russian story was a classic tale of early modern capitalists but well before their peers. Travel in Time" exhibition held in 2019, the painting located at the Museum of Military History has now been restituted. Individual, Corporate, and Foundation support are crucial to furthering the Jewish Museums mission to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art and Jewish culture. On The Hare with Amber Eyes at the Jewish Museum, New York. Jewish Museum Vienna: Barbara Staudinger to Succeed Danielle Spera After 12 Years, 17,000 Descendants of Nazi Victims Demand Austrian Citizenship, Jewish Museum Vienna Opens Jedermann's Jews. La Famille Ephrussi tait une famille influente de commerants et de banquiers juifs originaires d'Odessa (Empire russe), installs Paris dans les annes 1865-1870 et Vienne, alors dans l'empire austro-hongrois. De Waals book is an informally told saga of wealth, power, persecution, and loss, peopled by bankers and the occasional aesthete. Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mer is a Greek-style property built in the early 1900s by French archaeologist Theodore Reinach, and his wife Fanny Kann, a daughter of Maximilien Kann and Betty Ephrussi, of the Ephrussi family. Incorrect password. If you have any queries about republishing please contact us. Since the acquisition of the Adam painting occurred in close connection to the processing for the export of the Pettenkofen painting, the Kunstrckgabebeirat (Art Restitution Advisory Board)approved the restitution of the painting to the heirs of Viktor Ephrussi on April 12, 2019. Part of the netsuke collection was recently auctioned to raise money for refugee charities and de Waal sees disturbing echoes from the past in the current political situation. By birth and then by marriage, Madame Ephrussi was to become one of the greatest collectors of her century. Become a member, @TheJewishMuseum ftI UM i ( The painting Scene from the Italian Campaign1848/49, Encamping Troops in a Village will be on view as of November 19, 2021 in the exhibition The Hare with Amber Eyes at the Jewish Museum in New York. However, as the city was still occupied and heavily damaged from the war, it fetched just 30,000 dollars when sold. It was Edmund de Waal who took up the challenge of retelling the family story in his best-selling book, which has so far been translated into 20 languages. In 1950, the Museum of Military History nevertheless wanted a painting by August Pettenkofen, owned by the Ephrussi family, to be blocked from export. In 2015, de Waal was awarded the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prize for Non-Fiction by Yale University. In 2005 the family house on the boulevard was the office of the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Water Transport Company of Ukraine. The doctor apparently did not bother to come to work so often and the doorkeeper was happy to let me in. This artwork remained part of the HGM collections until 2019. The family's bank and properties were seized by the Nazi authorities after the 1938 "Anschluss", the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany. His descendants continued to grow the familys wealth and influence as financiers, becoming peers of the Rothschild family, and expanding their presence across the major capitals of Europe. The Hare with Amber Eyes traces the Ephrussi familys progression as one of the most influential Jewish families in nineteenth century Europe, beginning with Charles Joachim Ephrussi (1793-1864), who built a vast fortune through grain distribution and the oil industry in Odessa. Since September 1, 2020, descendants of victims of the Nazi regime with foreign citizenship can also obtain Austrian citizenship by so-called notification. Such was the case in 2019 while researching for our exhibition, The Ephrussis. He had no difficulty in convincing his paramour, and Louise commissioned two paintings: Girl with a Blue Ribbon . The family settled in Tunbridge Wells, where Viktor Ephrussi died on March 12, 1945. Last week Viennas Jewish Museum inaugurated an exhibition tracing the Ephrussis story, the centerpiece of which is the Japanese sculptures that accompanied the family on their tumultuous journey. Read more More information Past News Event As one of the most prominent Jewish families in Europe, the Ephrussis became a major target as antisemitisim grew in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The architecturally distinguished homes the Ephrussi family inhabited over the course of generations will be evoked within the domestic setting of the Jewish Museum and brought to life through excerpts from de Waals memoir. Restitution payments received by the United States will be processed and disbursed to you (and any other restitution victims) by the Clerk of the applicable United States District Court. 99. New York, NY 10128 They glistened a shiny black. But after the Nazis ransacked Vienna, all that remained of their valuables. Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. They lost their vast fortune and priceless art collection to the Nazis and were unable to recover their wealth and most of their property in the aftermath of the war. It was also the best city in the Russian empire to be Jewish, as the restrictions imposed on Jews elsewhere in the empire were waived here in the name of commerce. Thanks in large part to Edmunds book, a big exhibition recreating the history of the Ephrussi family opens soon at the Jewish Museum in Vienna. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. In 1938, the familys properties and bank in Austria, controlled by Viktor Ephrussi, were seized by the Nazis after the Nazi annexation of Austria. During World War II, the family found refuge in exile, making their way to England, America, and Mexico. I have Jewish roots in the city, I told Anna. facebook android official. He never did get to go back to Odessa. Memo to the oil painting by August Pettenkofen owned by Viktor Ephrussi, Vienna, July 10, 1950 BDA, Memo to the oil painting by August Pettenkofen owned by Viktor Ephrussi, Vienna, July 10, 1950 BDA, Paintings by Franz Adam and August Pettenkofen at the exhibition The Ephrussi. Please review visitor policies. New York NY, August 5, 2021The Jewish Museum will present The Hare with Amber Eyes, an exhibition that tells the story of the Ephrussi familycelebrated in the 2010 memoir and The New York Times bestseller of the same name by Edmund de Waaland showcases the breadth and depth of their illustrious collection. Already a member? Strangely, the brash nineteenth century boomtown now lives self-consciously off nostalgia and the stories of all the famous natives who moved on. The Ephrussi family is a Russian Jewish banking and oil dynasty descending from Charles Joachim Ephrussi. VIENNA, Austria (AFP) Another moving chapter in the story of the Viennese Jewish Ephrussi family made famous in the book The Hare With Amber Eyes has been written after around 40 members of the family reunited in the Austrian capital for the first time in decades. De Waal Family Collection. The Jewish Museum Vienna has enabled the restitution of the Franz Adam painting Camp Scene from 1848 in Italy to the Ephrussi family.