Art theft and looting during World War II Art theft and looting during World War II Art theft and looting occurred on a massive scale during World War II. It originated with the policies of the Axis countries, primarily Nazi Germany and Japan, which systematically looted occupied territories. Near the end of the war the Soviet Union, in turn, began looting reclaimed and occupied territories. "The grand scale of looted artwork by the Nazis has resulted in the loss of many pieces being scattered across the world." (Minyard, 2007) Although the looting of "cultural heritage" of the German people and private collectors was not permitted in the 1945
Germany–Indonesia relations Indonesia. The German painter Walter Spies (1895-1942) settled on the island of Bali and his works influenced local art. President B.J. Habibie studied and spent most of his life in Germany. The bilateral diplomatic relations officially established in 1952 when Indonesia opened a representative office in Bonn for Federal Republic of Germany, and an embassy in 1976 in East Berlin for German Democratic Republic. During official visit to Indonesia in December 1, 2011, Federal President Christian Wulff and his counterpart, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, identified five key sectors of strategic partnership between Germany and Indonesia; trade and investments, health,