Rare 15th-Century Rothschild Mahzor, Confiscated by Nazis, Heads to Sotheby's Auction Post-Restitution

One of the most exceptionally rare medieval Jewish prayer books, the Rothschild Mahzor of Vienna, dating back to 1415, is slated for sale at a Sotheby's auction in New York. This extraordinary manuscript, penned by the Jewish scribe Moshe ben Menachem, stands as a premier example of Judaic artistry and Central European calligraphy from that era. Sotheby's has assigned the illuminated manuscript a preliminary estimated value ranging between five and seven million US dollars. Given that only three comparable items remain in private hands, the exceptional scarcity of this particular volume is immediately apparent.

The scholarly and artistic significance of the Mahzor stems from its elaborate decorative panels, featuring initial words rendered in vibrant mineral and organic pigments such as cinnabar, copper, and lapis lazuli. These colors have astonishingly retained their brilliance for more than six centuries. The artifact’s modern history is deeply intertwined with the tumultuous events of the 20th century. Following the 1938 annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, known as the Anschluss, the Nazis seized the Rothschild family's Viennese palace while Alphonse and Clarissa Rothschild were residing in England. The family’s extensive art collection and library were confiscated. Crucially, unlike many other pieces, this Mahzor was transferred to the Austrian National Library without proper documentation detailing its confiscation, effectively obscuring its true provenance for decades.

The Mahzor’s journey began much earlier, in 1842, when it was acquired in Nuremberg by Salomon Mayer von Rothschild as a gift for his son, Anselm Salomon. It subsequently remained within the Viennese branch of the family for several generations. The manuscript’s eventual return was secured through the diligent work of researchers who successfully traced its authentic origins. This identification was confirmed by cross-referencing the Rothschild coat of arms with the original Hebrew dedicatory inscriptions added when the family first acquired the book. In June 2023, the Austrian Advisory Board for Art Restitution formally recommended that the Mahzor be returned to the Rothschild heirs.

The Rothschild family has acknowledged that while this restitution cannot erase the historical injustices committed, it carries profound meaning. It serves as a recognition of history and offers a measure of closure to pain that has resonated across generations. Experts, including Sharon Liberman Mintz, Sotheby's Senior International Specialist in Judaica, emphasize that the Rothschild Viennese Mahzor is not merely a major work of medieval Jewish art and scholarship, but also a potent symbol of historical resilience. Its six-hundred-year trajectory mirrors the broader narrative of Jewish endurance.

The manuscript, which originated in Vienna, contains marginalia detailing its movements between various communities that adapted its text to suit their Ashkenazi liturgical practices. Notably, the text references a 14th-century Viennese custom of opening the Holy Ark during the recitation of the piyyut “Melekh Elyon,” a key detail that helped pinpoint the Mahzor's place of creation. This upcoming auction marks a significant moment in the world of cultural asset restitution and high-end collecting. In the context of illuminated medieval Jewish prayer books, only about twenty examples have survived to the present day, making their appearance on the market exceptionally rare. For comparison, another celebrated example, the Lucerne High Holy Days Mahzor, fetched $8.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in 2021. The sale of the Rothschild Viennese Mahzor in February 2025 is certain to draw considerable attention from collectors keenly interested in preserving unique artifacts while simultaneously acknowledging their complex historical journeys.