The pieces were displayed as an art exhibit. The art exhibit was repetitive and mediocre, and had the pieces come from anywhere else, there wouldn't be many people there to see it.

Archaeologists provide new information, which is why "what people owned" is historically significant--- we already KNOW that the European elite in the pre-WWII era had a lot of money, which is why this collection, which told us absolutely nothing else, is less significant, than say, what they're digging up at the Temple Mount.

As for finding owners, it's a bit more complicated than you think. Do you have any idea how unlikely it is for someone to figure out that their family actually OWNED one of these pieces? It requires extensive research, research that most Jews wouldn't have a reason to do. It's naive to think that this exhibit will simply be a forum for people to locate art that belonged to their families a couple of generations ago.

Cori C

http://cori-c.blogspot.com

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