Dutch art sleuth helps German police track down Nazi art
By Associated Press
May 22, 2015 5:34 AM CDT
Two bronze horse statues by artist Josef Thorak are transported on a flatbed trailer in Bad Duerkheim, southwestern Germany, Thursday, May 21, 2015. A German investigation into black market art had recovered the two statues that once stood in front of Adolf Hitler's grand chancellery building in Berlin...   (Associated Press)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch art sleuth best known for identifying works looted from Jewish owners by the Nazis has helped German police recover a trove of Third Reich sculptures that had been missing for decades, including a pair of bronze horses crafted for Adolf Hitler.

Arthur Brand provided tips to German detectives who made the amazing discovery in a series of raids this week, capping a long investigation into illegal art trafficking.

Berlin police spokesman Michael Gassen said Friday that so far some 100 tons of art has been loaded onto trucks in the southwestern town of Bad Duerkheim where they were found in warehouses.

Brand says he was stunned when he saw recent photos of the horses, proving they were not destroyed in the final days of World War II.

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