LONDON.- The Times has reported that one of Ireland’s most celebrated museums is fighting for its reputation after being accused of hoarding art looted from Jewish families by the Nazis. The Hunt Museum in Limerick has had to call in a retired Irish judge and two British-based experts to look into allegations by the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Paris that its benefactor, the late Anglo-Irish art collector John Hunt, acquired some of his works through alleged business links with Nazi art dealers. The National Museum of Ireland and the National Gallery of Ireland, both of which have bought items from the Hunt collection,  may also have to check their archives for Nazi links. The Hunt Museum recently celebrated its seventh anniversary. The 2,000 works of art and artifacts at the museum, which include paintings by Picasso and Gauguin and a sculpture attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, were seen as a worthy monument to a lifetime of treasure-hunting by Hunt and his German wife, Gertrude.

The Hunt Museum was established to house an internationally important collection of approximately 2000 works of art and antiquities formed by John and Gertrude Hunt during their lifetimes. As antique dealers and advisors to collectors they built a thriving business and also began to acquire pieces that reflected their own interests and curiosity rather than for commercial purposes. During the latter stages of John’s life, they became increasingly aware of the scale of their collection and wished that it would remain intact. They began to search for a permanent home for their collection. Fortunately they met Professor Patrick Doran of the National Institute of Higher Education (now University of Limerick) and Dr Edward Walsh, the Institute’s President, who agreed to house a substantial part of the Collection on a temporary basis, the Hunt Museum opened there in 1978 in an exhibition room with the display designed by architect Arthur Gibney.

During this period the Irish Government had declined the offer of the Collection, so the requirement to find a suitable home and owner to take responsibility for the artifacts became more urgent. A trust- The Hunt Museums Trust was established in 1974 to hold the Collection and the property at Craggaunowen (a 16th Century four story tower house, a typical of late medieval Ireland, purchased and restored by John and Gertrude) in trust on behalf of the people of Ireland. The trust established The Hunt Museum Ltd. whose sole purpose was the establishment of a permanent home for the museum. Under the Chairmanship of Dr Tony Ryan this company provided the necessary energy to create the museum as we see it today. A public private partnership involving the University of Limerick, Shannon Development, Limerick Corporation and the Department of Arts Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands linked with local business interests secured the historic 18th-century former Custom House and the funds to restore and renovate the building to international museum standards. The museum was officially opened by the Taoiseach John Bruton on 14 February 1997. It was a moment of great celebration for all concerned but unfortunately neither John nor Gertrude had lived to realise their dream, but the museum stands as a monument to their enthusiasm, curiosity and generosity.