Painting by Jordaens stolen by Nazis returned to rightful owners in Mechelen
A painting stolen by the Nazis in 1940 was returned to the descendants of its rightful owners on Wednesday at the Dossin Barracks in Mechelen. The 17th-century artwork, The Return of the Holy Family from the Flight into Egypt by Jacob Jordaens, is valued at approximately 800,000 euros.
© BELGA PHOTO KATLEEN VASTIAU
In 1940, resistance fighter Joseph Scheppers de Bergstein was captured by the Germans and taken to the Buchenwald camp. His home, Emmaus Castle in Walem, a sub-municipality of Mechelen, was occupied by the Nazis, who looted or burned much of its contents. Shortly after the war, Scheppers de Bergstein's son, Gaëtan, reported the theft to the Economic Recovery Service. This eventually led to the painting being listed in the online database lootedart.belgium.be of the FPS Economy.
In 2022, the painting resurfaced in the cellar of a Dutch man who had relocated to the Ardèche before his death. He had long suspected it was stolen and confided in his nephew about it years earlier. His sister later inherited his estate, including the painting, and her son took steps to return it.
"My uncle had told me years earlier that he had a painting in his possession that had probably been stolen, so after his death, we actively started looking for it," said Bart van Nieuwland. "We found the work hidden in a false ceiling of the cellar. I had no idea of its value, so I took it to the Dutch art dealer Art Dumay. Together, we discovered it was a genuine Jordaens and that it was listed among stolen artworks."
After contacting the rightful heirs, the painting was carefully restored and returned nearly 80 years to the day after its theft. During the ceremony at Kazerne Dossin, FPS Economy officials detailed the process of tracing the descendants. While the barracks are not directly linked to this case as Scheppers de Bergstein was a resistance fighter rather than a Jewish deportee, his fate mirrored that of many who suffered under Nazi persecution.
The Scheppers de Bergstein family has a long history in the Mechelen region. Joseph’s father served as mayor of Heindonk (now part of Willebroek) for 25 years, and several family members were aldermen in Mechelen. Monsignor Viktor Scheppers founded the renowned Scheppers Institute in the city. Representing the family at the ceremony, Joseph’s grandsons, Michel, Philippe and Maximilien, formally received the painting.
#FlandersNewsService |Michel Scheppers de Bergstein, Philippe Scheppers de Bergstein, Maxilimien Scheppers de Bergstein, Elisabeth van Nieuwland and Bart van Nieuwland pictured with Return of the Holy Family from the Flight into Egypt painting by Jacob Jordaens during a ceremony on Wednesday 05 February 2025, at the Kazerne Dossin.
© BELGA PHOTO KATLEEN VASTIAU
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