BERLIN.- A story of loss, perseverance, and a surprising turn of events has brought a long-lost Wilhelm Busch drawing back to its rightful place. After disappearing during the chaos of World War II, the charming and macabre drawing "The Three Robbers" has been returned to the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings), an emotional moment for the institution and a powerful example of the ongoing work of art restitution.

For 80 years, the small black chalk drawing was considered a "war loss," one of countless cultural artifacts displaced or destroyed in the final years of the war. Wilhelm Busch, the famed poet and caricaturist known for his satirical stories like "Max and Moritz," created the drawing in 1868 to illustrate his less-known but equally delightful poem, "The Bold Miller's Daughter." It depicts three shadowy figures—wild and silent—creeping around a house, a scene that now, through a twist of fate, reflects its own journey back from the shadows.

The drawing's re-emergence came to light this past spring at the Zurich auction house Koller. During a meticulous provenance check for a private collection, Franz-Carl Diegelmann, the head of the Old Graphics department, recognized the work as a missing piece from the Berlin museum's collection. “I am very happy that the caricature by Wilhelm Busch has now found its way back to the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin exactly eighty years after the end of the war,” Diegelmann said. His connection to the institution, having studied art history in Berlin, made the discovery especially meaningful.

The auction house’s diligent research and subsequent conversation with the drawing’s private owner in Switzerland led to an act of profound generosity. Instead of proceeding with the auction, the owner chose to donate the artwork to the Kupferstichkabinett, allowing it to be permanently reunited with the other works in the museum's collection.

Marion Ackermann, President of the SPK, expressed her gratitude for the "conscientious provenance research" of Koller, highlighting how it, combined with the owner's kindness, helped "close a gap in the collection that was torn open by the turmoil of war."

Anna Pfäfflin, the 19th-century art curator, drew a poignant parallel between the drawing's narrative and its real-life story. "In his ballad, Wilhelm Busch describes a surprising turn of events...And what was considered a war loss finds its way back to the museum and thus back into public ownership through fortunate circumstances and private generosity."

The return of "The Three Robbers" is a small but significant victory in the long and complex history of art restitution. It serves as a reminder of the enduring power of art and the moral imperative to right the wrongs of the past, one drawing at a time. The whimsical image of the sneaking robbers, now home again in Berlin, is a testament to the fact that even after decades of being lost, some treasures can still find their way back.