Art treasures

Munich has always been justifiably proud of its art museums and galleries. The collections open to visitors, housed in walking distance from my Schwabing flat, would be the envy of any city.

Now we know of a new 'collection', the previously hidden works of art seized in 2011 when the authorities raided a nondescript Schwabing apartment. The newspapers speak of art worth a billion euro.

It is an extraordinary story. While the paintings and drawings have been safely under lock and key, we are asked to believe that nobody knows the whereabouts of the eighty-year-old who was the guardian of this astonishing hoard. When the full story emerges... and it will be a good while before it does... it will be a fascinating tale.