Merkel's headache with a Persian rug from Arak
Daily Mail: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is faced with the tricky question of what to do with her office's Persian rug after it was discovered to be part of a collection of treasures looted by Hitler's deputy Hermann Goering. The carpet is described as Persian and comes from Arak. Merkel is said to be furious with her aides at the embarrassing revelation. It is understood the rug will be removed from view by the end of the week.
The Persian rug is one of more than 600 objects that were amassed by Luftwaffe commander Goering and others during the Second World War and are still used by the government. The 'Collection Goering' as the Reichmarshall's loot was known, encompassed paintings, tapestries, hunting ornaments, altarpieces, rugs, platinum and gold cufflinks, a ring with diamonds as well as a golden cup for champagne
It is unclear how another Goering carpet ended up in the chancellor's office in Berlin. The West German government in 1966 declared the task of reuniting owners with their stolen property to be 'concluded.' The former state minister for culture Michael Naumann has now urged the government to force the return of Nazi looted items to their rightful owners or their heirs.
