Leutwitz Apollo (2), Official Timeline

Because the discussion is lengthy and fragmented, it may help the reader to have a summary of the timeline of events connected with establishing the collecting history of the Leutwitz ("Cleveland") Apollo. This is the timeline CMA has reconstructed on the basis of evidence they gathered. It will emerge that there are still other possibilities to be considered.

Alleged background: Fall of East Germany, Friedliche Revolution Sept to October 1989, fall of Berlin Wall November 9th,  German Reunification October 3, 1990.


1990-1991: Ernst-Ulrich Walter obtains possession of family home in Leutwitz (p. 67)

1993-1994: Ernst-Ulrich Walter finds statue in damaged condition (p. 67 and 71-2)

1994 ("mid 1990s"): Lucia Marinescu visits Walter and examines the statue in pieces (in a box, head separate) (p. 62, 66, 67)

"in the 1990s" (or "late in 1994") Walter says he sold damaged statue to an unknown Dutch dealer (p. 65 and 71-2)

The statue disappears from view. At some stage after its purchase by the Dutch dealer, it is restored.

April 15th 2003: By this time the statue is in Geneva, on the premises of Phoenix Ancient Art S.A. 
where it is seen by Michael Bennett (p. 1-14, 96).

Early 2003 (?) ("several years later"): Lucia Marinescu sees a photo of restored statue (p. 62)

 May 27th 2003 Lucia Marinescu presents paper on the Sauroctonos at 16th International Congress of Antique Bronzes in Bucharest (p. 61, 66). The paper was published (p. 99) some time the following year (2004)

July 3rd 2003: Through the dealer, CMA receives letter from Walter (p. 65)

September 4th 2003: CMA receives letter from Marinescu (p. 66)
November 5th, 6th and 7th 2003, three telephone conversations with Ernst-Ulrich Walter (p.67)

November 7th 2003, telephone conversation with Lucia Marinescu (p.67) 


December 10th, 2003, further telephone conversation with Ernst-Ulrich Walter (p.71)

December 22nd, 2003, CMA curators Bennett and Holger Klein meet in Dresden and drive to Leutwitz to spend the afternoon with Ernst-Ulrich Walter (p.71)

They conclude: "nothing we learned contradicted the ownership history as presented by the dealer, indeed all the documented testimony and technical observations had been corroborative" (p. 67) "After all this masterpiece had suffered, we were convinced that we had a moral obligation to provide it with a safe haven" (p. 72).