Conference on the History of the Veit Stoss Altar of Krakow

December 4, 2007

The Veit Stoss Altar

On Tuesday, December 4, 2007 Consul General Anne Hall participated in a conference on the 50th anniversary of the return of the Veit Stoss altar in St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow.  The conference was organized by Krakow researchers and the head of St. Mary’s Basilica, Father Fidelus.

The altar is undoubtedly one of the greatest medieval masterpieces in the world.  Like many art works in Poland, it had a tragic history in World War II.  Made in the 15th century by Veit Stoss of Nuremberg, the altar was stolen despite the efforts on the Polish side to smuggle it outside of Krakow and hide it in Sandomierz.  When found by the Nazis, the altar was taken to Berlin and then to Nuremberg, where it was kept in a bunker.  After the war the altar made it back to Poland with great support from the U.S. Army and General Dwight Eisenhower, whose decision it was to return the altar to St. Mary’s Basilica.

Thanks to the help from the Krakow Consulate’s IRC, the researcher Agata Wolska was able to track down documents of correspondence between American Embassy in Warsaw and the State Department and find out how the altar made it back to Poland.

The conference was well attended and Consul General’s remarks were received with a warm welcome.