The funeral of Christ is called the painting, and was created by the artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It is returned on request from the Polish Ministry of Culture in Warsaw.

"We have looked at the matter in consultation with the National Antiquities Office and believe that the return of a stolen cultural item is in line with the international conventions that exist in the area," Susanna Pettersson, superintendent of the National Museum, said in a press release.

Bought in 1970

The painting was purchased for the National Museum's collections at Mariefred's city auction in 1970 for SEK 4,000 and sold by Sigfrid Häggberg's estate. According to the National Museum, there was no suspicion that the painting had been stolen.

In collaboration with experts from Poland, the National Museum has gone through the history of the painting. The painting is included in a list drawn up in November 1945 of evacuated objects from the former Schlesische Museum der Bildenden Künste in Breslau, which was taken into custody in the city of Kamenz in Poland.

Left in custody

When the Soviet-Russian troops left the area in February 1946, many paintings were missing on the list, the funeral of Christ being one of them. What happened to the painting after this and until it came to Mariefred and Sigfrid Häggberg is unclear.

According to Häggberg's family, he should not have bought the painting but taken care of it after a person left it in custody with him, a person who should never have returned.