In January 1938, Alphonse Rothschild made a donation to the MAK on the occasion of the issuing of an export permit for different art objects. The export never came off, nor was the donation ever handed over to the museum. After the “Anschluss,” Alphonse Rothschild’s collection was confiscated by the Gestapo and eventually seized. Subsequently, Director Ernst kept trying to get hold of the donated and other objects for the museum. In 1943, finally, a number of objects were allocated to the institution. After the end of the war and the Nazi regime, Clarice Rothschild, widow of the meanwhile deceased Alphonse Rothschild, declared that the donation would be maintained. A settlement agreement was made about which objects would remain at the museum and which would be handed over to Clarice Rothschild. In 1948/49, Clarice Rothschild’s lawyer pointed out that his client was under no obligation to offer replacement for lost objects lost from the donation, nor was she liable for the state of the objects. Moreover, it was agreed that no donated object was to be sold or bartered and that all objects included in the donation were to be marked as such.
 

On 11 February 1999, the Advisory Board recommended the restitution of 91 objects, which were returned on 11 March of the same year.