St. Petersburg Hermitage.

 

In November 1940, when Joseph Stalin gave this painting to Adolf Hitler, he wanted Hitler to know that from now on he was at Stalin‘s mercy.

The message was clearly conveyed to Hitler. He was to realize what was imminent: conquest by Stalin. Hitler, however, had plans in order to prevent this.

But as we all know Hitler‘s plans to prevent Stalin from overrunning Europe did not succeeded entirely. It was the largest life or death lottery that had ever been played by political leaders.

Stalin sent the painting by Molotov and an entourage consisting of non less than 65 people. Among them there were their own commissioner , five deputy commissioners, the chief of the secret police, General Alexander Vasilevsky , two aviation industry representatives, 4 Security Service representatives, twelve railway officers, as well as a doctor, a cook, a hairdresser and servants. Even the amount of luggage was abnormally high which included the painting.

Hitler was so angered by this gift that he assigned his right hand, Martin Bormann, to hide the Hermitage picture.

Before the end of the second world war, Bormann gave it to a German submarine officer to protect the valuable painting. 1955 this officer sold it to a Swabian businessman.

Since the backround of the painting was quite uncertain he was concerned that the canvas would be confiscated by the authorities or claimed by an heir. He therefore hid it in his apartment.

After his death, the painting was found by an heir who had it professionally restored by the Stuttgart State Academy of Fine Arts. (Restoration report is enclosed)

The painting is now for sale .

For more information on the history of the painting turn to the book from the world renowned expert on The Third Reich, the German historian Prof. Dr. Werner Maser (Werner Maser, „Fälschung, Dichtung und Wahrheit über Hitler und Stalin“, publisher: Olzog Verlag, Munich 2004, pp. 192-198) Prof. Dr. Mayer therein declares the painting to be an absolute sensation, donating 7 pages of the book to it, including pictures!

***A painting that has verifiably changed WORLD HISTORY, coming from one of the world's largest museums, The Hermitage, that has fascinated the greatest political leaders of our time, Stalin - Hitler - Bormann - MOLOTOW and which they have owned.***

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