United States Returns Stolen Piece of Art to Poland

Ambassador Paul Jones and Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr Gliński at ceremony marking the return to Poland of the stolen painting “Street with Castle Ruins”

On November 29 at Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ambassador Jones and personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team returned to Poland a stolen painting from the United States.  Painted in the late 19th century by the Polish artist Robert Sliwiński (1840-1902), the “Street with Castle Ruins” was located in the United States in early 2017 and its return coordinated with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.  The returned painting is the latest in a series of returns of stolen or looted art performed by the United States in recent years.   Speaking with the media and Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr Gliński, Ambassador Jones saluted the outstanding cooperation helping dutifully restore Poland’s cultural heritage, saying that, “These returns illustrate the excellent law enforcement cooperation between our two countries and America’s respect for Poland’s cultural heritage.”