2023-09-01 17:09:08
“It is the largest private collection of jewels in the world that has ever been auctioned,” said the auction house boss in advance. But nothing will come of this project.
In Vienna, the jewelry treasure of the Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten († 81) should come under the hammer. But instead of bringing in dizzyingly high proceeds, “Christie’s” canceled the second part of the sale, which was supposed to take place in November.
One of the jewels in Heidi Horten’s collection, the Cartier ‘Sunrise’ ruby and diamond ring weighs 25.59 carats. Its value is estimated at around 18 million euros
Photo: Salvatore Di Nolfi/dpa
The reason: Numerous Jewish organizations called for the jewel auction to be stopped. It should first be clarified to what extent Horten’s wealth belongs to persecuted Jews and their descendants.
The public reactions to the first part of the auction “affected the auction house,” said Christie’s on Friday. Therefore, the auction will not continue as planned.
Helmut and Heidi Horten in the late 1960s. Helmut Horten was a member of the NSDAP and benefited from the Nazi dictatorship and became rich
Foto: picture-alliance/ dpa
Background: Heidi Horten was the wife of entrepreneur and department store billionaire Helmut Horten (1909-1987), who took over the textile department store Alsberg in Duisburg in 1936 at the age of 27 after its Jewish owners had fled.
According to a historian’s report published in January 2022, Helmut Horten was a member of the NSDAP for a long time. He later took over other department stores that had previously been owned by Jewish owners.
Another highlight: the emerald necklace “The Great Mogul”. Created by Harry Winston, 362 carats
Photo: Christie’s
After the war, Horten had to answer before the denazification committee, but was acquitted in 1948.
According to Forbes, Heidi Horten, who died last year at the age of 81, left a fortune of around 2.6 billion euros.
Billionaire Heidi Horten with the mega diamond “Briolette of India”
Photo: The Heidi Horten Foundation
Around 700 pieces of jewelry were to be sold at the auction, including many spectacular exhibits: a pearl belonging to France’s Queen Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) and the “Briolette of India” diamond (90.38 carats), which was already owned by the kings Richard the Lionheart (1157 -1199, England) and Henry II (1519-1559, France).
The cheapest exhibits started at around 5000 euros. A ruby worth EUR 18 million ranked first.
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The first part of the jewelry auction in May brought in around 141 million euros. Only around 100 of Horten’s 700 pieces of jewelry went under the hammer.
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