ENDING OF PREVIOUS POST:

"Why aren't they in your family's possession?"

"Great-great-grandpa Haim was a professor at Universitat Frankfurt Am Main. In 1931, the German economic crisis worsened, and the Nazi party became strong enough to take over the university system. He brought his family to the US but couldn't bring the artwork. He left them with his brother, Tomas. They were hidden in a huge wall safe. During Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938, Tomas was arrested and sent to Dachau. He died there. It has always been believed that while the looting and murdering took place that night Grandfather's artwork was stolen."

"That part makes sense. My question is how did the Russians get involved?"

TODAY'S POST:

Chapter 2 part 3

"I have no idea. Maybe the artwork was brought to Berlin and...who knows...." Shana leaned back in the chair. "I have no way of knowing. All this time I thought a German had it."

"Sir, if I may," Philip said as he stood in the doorway. "I think I can answer that."

"Come on in." Anderson's eyes met Shana's. "There's no such thing as a private conversation in this house."

"I think I'll have a seat too." Jane sat beside Shana.

"See. It won't be long before Helen joins us."

"Don't start." Helen placed three glasses on the table and filled them. "I'm ready."

Anderson nodded, and Philip to begin. "Between June 1941 and May 1945 Germany and the Soviet Union engaged in a struggle on the Eastern Front. It was one of the largest and deadliest military duels in human history."

"Didn't the harsh Russian winters play a role in Russian victory?" asked Anderson.

"They did. After about four years of serious fighting, the Soviet Union made its way into Berlin." Philip took a bite of cheese before he continued, "On April 16, 1945, the Red Army began its Berlin campaign with artillery, exploding targets throughout the city and surrounding areas. The Soviets captured the Reichstag on April 30, 1945. Hundreds of thousands of German civilians were shot and buried alive in buildings crushed by tanks. Some were crucified."

"We get the picture." Jane glared at Philip. "I'm sure this is when the Soviet soldiers stole artwork from the Germans, who originally had stolen it. It all makes sense."

"I need to add that Stalin died in 1953, but around ten thousand former German soldiers weren't given their freedom until 1955 -- 1956." Philip glanced down at his hands.

"What happened to Hitler during all of this?" asked Helen.

"I can answer that." Shana's clenched fists were in her lap. "He and Eva Braun, his wife all of about one day, stayed in the Fuhrerbunker, a fortified underground bunker. Hitler was a chicken. First, he fed his dog cyanide. I guess to make sure it was strong enough to do the job. After marrying Eva, he poisoned her, and then shot himself. He couldn't stand the idea of being captured."

"I can understand why you have no love lost for Hitler and the Nazis." Anderson hesitated. "This probably explains how Russia got possession of your family's painting."

Jane's eyes met Anderson's. "Drew, there has to be something you can do?"

"I have absolutely no pull with the Russians and neither does anyone in my family." He took a drink.

"But you do have influence with many members of Congress. Can't they do something?"

"I don't even know for sure the painting belongs to Shana's family."

"I'll show you the paperwork." Shana hurried to the room she was staying in.

Moments later, she returned with the satchel and took out an envelope. From that, she carefully removed a yellowed fragile document written in German. "Here's the documentation that the painting belongs to us. Earlier today, the museum had an expert verify this paper is authentic. They then made a special copy of it and were going to move the process along to the next step. It'll take longer because I refused to leave this with them."

"I don't blame you one bit," added Jane.

All heads turned at a sound of a doorbell ringing.


NOTE!
There are a few theories as to what really happened to Hitler. This seems to be the most common theory.