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FBI Returns Nazi-Looted Monet Artwork to Heirs of Original Jewish Owners After More Than 80 Years
Claude Monet’s pastel on paper, “Bord de Mer.” Photo: Federal Bureau of Investigation/Handout via REUTERS
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Thursday that a Claude Monet artwork stolen by Nazis during World War II has been returned to the heirs of its original Jewish owners, who have been searching for the artwork for more than 80 years.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team, the FBI’s New York and New Orleans field offices, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana collaborated in returning Monet’s pastel on paper “Bord de Mer”(circa 1865) to the heirs of Adalbert “Bela” and Hilda Parlagi. The Palagi family purchased the artwork at an Austrian art auction in 1936 and it was part of the family’s art collection.
When the Parlagis fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 they stored their belongings in a warehouse, but their property was seized by the Nazis in 1940. The Monet piece was later bought at an auction by a Nazi art dealer and its whereabouts became unknown in 1941.
The FBI launched an investigation into “Bird de Mer” in 2021 after receiving information from the Commission for Looted Art in Europe about the Nazi-looted artwork. When the Monet piece was listed for sale at a Houston-based art gallery in 2023, special agents of the FBI’s Art Crime Team and detectives from FBI New York’s Major Theft Task Force contacted the owners of the artwork, Kevin and Bridget Vita Schlamp, and explained the piece’s Nazi-related history.
The Schlamps, who did not previously know about the artwork’s ties to the Nazis, voluntarily surrendered the piece.
“While this Monet is undoubtedly valuable, its true worth lies in what it represents to the Parlagi family,” said James Dennehy, assistant director in charge of the FBI in New York City. “It’s a connection to their history, their loved ones, and a legacy that was nearly erased. The emotions tied to reclaiming something taken so brutally can’t be measured in dollars—it’s priceless.”
Lyonel Myrthil, special agent in charge of FBI New Orleans, said: “Nothing can excuse the hateful and heinous behavior of the past, but we are most grateful to the Schlamp family for their role in righting this wrong. We need and appreciate the ongoing support of the public and the art community at large to ensure there are more success stories like this in the future.”
Several other pieces of artwork stolen by the Nazis from the Parlagis in 1940 are still missing, including a signed Paul Signac watercolor from 1903 titled “Seine in Paris (Pont de Grenelle).” The FBI’s investigation to uncover the whereabouts of the remaining artworks is ongoing.
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Israeli Strike on Tehran Kills Bodyguard of Slain Hezbollah Chief
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lays a wreath as he visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, June 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A member of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Tehran alongside a member of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, a senior Lebanese security source told Reuters and the Iraqi group said on Saturday.
The source identified the Hezbollah member as Abu Ali Khalil, who had served as a bodyguard for Hezbollah’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah. The source said Khalil had been on a religious pilgrimage to Iraq when he met up with a member of the Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada group.
They traveled together to Tehran and were both killed in an Israeli strike there, along with Khalil’s son, the senior security source said. Hezbollah has not joined in Iran’s air strikes against Israel from Lebanon.
Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada published a statement confirming that both the head of its security unit and Khalil had been killed in an Israeli strike.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli aerial attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs in September.
Israel and Iran have been trading strikes for nine consecutive days since Israel launched attacks on Iran, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said it does not seek nuclear weapons.
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Hamas Financial Officer and Commander Eliminated by IDF in the Gaza Strip
Israeli soldiers operate during a ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, July 3, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in cooperation with the General Security Service (Shin Bet), announced on Friday the killing of Ibrahim Abu Shamala, a senior financial official in Hamas’ military wing.
The operation took place on June 17th in the central Gaza Strip.
Abu Shamala held several key positions, including financial officer for Hamas’ military wing and assistant to Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing until his elimination in March 2024.
He was responsible for managing all the financial resources of Hamas’ military wing in Gaza, overseeing the planning and execution of the group’s war budget. This involved handling and smuggling millions of dollars into the Gaza Strip to fund Hamas’ military operations.
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Report: Wary of Assassination by Israel, Khamenei Names 3 Potential Successors
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei named three senior clerics as candidates to succeed him should he be killed, the New York Times reported on Saturday citing unnamed Iranian officials. It is understood the Ayatollah fears he could be assassinated in the coming days.
Khamenei reportedly mostly speaks with his commanders through a trusted aide now, suspending electronic communications.
Khamenei has designated three senior religious figures as candidates to replace him as well as choosing successors in the military chain of command in the likely event that additional senior officials be eliminated.
Earlier on Saturday Israel confirmed the elimination of Saeed Izadi and Bhanam Shahriari.
Shahriari, head of Iran’s Quds Force Weapons Transfer Unit, responsible for arming Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, was killed in an Israeli airstrike over 1,000 km from Israel in western Iran.
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