Christie’s has decided to cancel the second auction of jewelry belonging to a wealthy Austrian billionaire, whose husband acquired his wealth under Nazi rule, due to intense scrutiny. The auction house previously held a controversial sale of a portion of the extensive collection of over 700 jewels in May, and had planned to hold a second round in November.
In a statement, Christie’s announced that they will not proceed with further sales of property from the Estate of Heidi Horten. This decision comes after significant attention and criticism surrounding the auction.
The first auction already broke previous records set by Christie’s, surpassing the sales of Elizabeth Taylor’s properties in 2011 and the “Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence” collection in 2019, both of which exceeded $100 million.
Hopes were high for comparable results from the second round. However, following a report by the New York Times, Christie’s confirmed the cancellation and acknowledged the intense scrutiny the sale had provoked. The auction house expressed that they are deeply affected by the reaction and will continue to reflect on it.
Numerous Jewish groups had called for Christie’s to halt the initial sale in May, deeming it “indecent” and demanding a thorough examination of how much of the collection may have originated from Nazi victims.
Heidi Horten, the owner of this extraordinary collection, passed away at the age of 81 in 2022, leaving behind a fortune of $2.9 billion. Historians commissioned by the Horten Foundation revealed that her late husband, Helmut Horten, had been a member of the Nazi party before being expelled.
In 1936, Helmut Horten took control of Alsberg, a textile company in Duisburg, Germany, after its Jewish owners fled in the wake of Hitler’s rise to power. He also acquired several other shops formerly owned by Jewish individuals before the war.
Despite the controversy, Christie’s defended their decision to proceed with the sale in May. Rahul Kadakia, the international head of jewelry at Christie’s, emphasized that all proceeds would go towards charitable causes. Additionally, Christie’s pledged to make a substantial donation towards Holocaust research and education.
The cancellation of the second auction marks a significant development in this ongoing controversy surrounding the Horten jewelry collection. Christie’s decision reflects the rising importance of considerate and ethical practices in the art auction industry.
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