There are not many people who would admit to being in possession of pilfered loot. Especially if it includes stolen Greek antiquities among other artifacts.
John S. Gompert is an exception to that rule, however. having returned over 19 pieces he had inherited from his grandmother, which came from illegal excavations. The American had no clue, however. until he saw the article in The Guardian.
Gompert had been reading the newspaper when he came across an article on stolen artifacts he realized that the stolen items mentioned he owned himself. There were 19 pieces in total, 12 belonging to Greece. 4 to Italy, 2 to Cyprus, and 1 to Pakistan.
His grandmother, Gisela Shneider Hermann was of German Dutch origin. She died at the age of 98 in 1992. Gompert knew that she had taken part in excavations in Greece and Italy in the 1950s and 1960s. She had even published scientific articles.
But as Gompert stated: "I have no idea how she actually acquired these objects. She was a prime and proper person. But there were different norms os those days. These objects were her entire existence."
Though some of the artifacts had receipts. he had a suspicion of a link between archaeologists and merchants who participated in the illegal trade of the era.
It was gifted to him by his grandmother including 4th-century ceramic tablets from Southern Italy with figures of acrobats. There were also vases from the 4th century that Greeks used at their wedding ceremonies.
Gompert's grandmother also owned fragments of a Buddha from the 3rd century. and also 2 flower pots from Cyprus.
The total value of the items was about 90.000 euros. Gompert had no idea of their value. Once he knew, he made the ethical move to return them.
Yet making ethical movements is clearly part of Gompert's nature having headed a number of government organizations.
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