A painting taken from a Nazi-persecuted Jewish family in 1930s Germany was discovered in a New York museum and seized by the FBI on Sept. 10.

The Arkell Museum at Canajoharie waived its rights to the painting when it was revealed that "Winter," by American artist Gari Melchers, was stolen by the Nazis.

German-Jewish publisher and philanthropist Rudolf Mosse, who purchased the Melchers painting in 1900 at the Great Berlin Art Exhibition, was forced to flee Germany with his family when the Nazis rose to power. He published the Berliner Tageblatte which was critical of Hitler. His art collection was seized by the Nazis.

American industrialist Bartlett Arkell, first president of the Beech-Nut Packing Company, purchased the artwork from a New York City gallery in 1934 for his personal collection. The painting became part of the museum collection that bears his name, located northwest of Albany.

Arkell executive director and chief curator, Susan D Friedlander, said that the museum "was of course very upset to learn the history of the painting's seizure." The artwork is being held by the FBI prior to its return to the Mosse heirs.