How an old suitcase revealed a hidden family fortune, lost under Nazi rule

The article discusses the story of Antony Easton, a British man who has been researching his family's past and uncovering the truth about their experiences during World War II. Antony's grandparents were Jewish, and they had to flee Nazi Germany in 1939. Antony's great-grandfather, Martin Hartig, took over one of their properties in 1938, which was later passed down to Antony.

As Antony delved deeper into his family's history, he discovered that Martin Hartig had helped the Eisner family smuggle paintings out of Germany by taking them out of their frames and hiding them among clothes. This act of kindness and bravery had a profound impact on Antony, who has said that it has changed him forever.

Antony's research also uncovered that his great-grandfather, Martin Hartig, had been opposed to the Nazis and had helped save the Eisner family from persecution. He had even told his own children about this act of kindness and bravery.

Despite his efforts, Antony was unable to reclaim some of his family's properties due to the statute of limitations. However, he has found solace in knowing that the story of his family's experiences during World War II is being passed down to a new generation through his niece's decision to give her son the middle name Eisner.

The article highlights the importance of remembering and honoring the experiences of those who were affected by the Holocaust. It also emphasizes the impact that individual acts of kindness and bravery can have on people's lives.

I mean, can you imagine having a piece of history like this in your family? Like, Antony's great-grandad was literally saving lives during WW2 and it's crazy to think about how much he risked just to do the right thing . And now his niece is doing the same by passing down the name Eisner to her kid, it's like a never-ending story of hope and courage . I think we can all learn from these stories and try to be more like Martin Hartig, you know? Be brave enough to stand up for what's right, even if it means putting yourself at risk . We should all strive to make the world a better place, one small act of kindness at a time .

idk about this one... i mean, it's great that Antony's family is sharing their story and all, but at the same time, shouldn't he just be focusing on the money and properties? like, his great-grandfather helped save the Eisner family from persecution and stuff, but now Antony can't even reclaim some of those properties because of a stupid law...

and i'm not saying that's bad or anything, but it's just so interesting to me how one person's actions can have such a big impact on others' lives. like, if martin hartig hadn't helped the Eisner family, would they still be alive today? but at the same time, shouldn't we also think about how that one act of kindness came with a cost?

i guess what i'm trying to say is... it's complicated.

I don't know, man... I'm kinda torn about this whole thing... I mean, it's amazing that Antony was able to uncover his family's history and learn about their experiences during WWII, but at the same time, I feel like he might be glossing over some of the harsh realities... Like, what about all the people who weren't so lucky as to have had kind strangers help them out? And I'm not sure if it's totally fair to say that his great-grandfather was a hero just because he took some paintings out of frames and hid them away... But on the other hand, I guess you could say that one small act of kindness can have a big impact... Maybe?

[Image of a person holding a suitcase with a "Smuggling" sticker on it, from the movie Sneakers](https://i.imgur.com/hK7kV4S.gif)

[An animated GIF of a painting being hidden in a closet, with a caption "Art is saving lives"] ()

[yT Video thumbnail of "The Pianist" soundtrack playing](https://i.imgur.com/Mc4xRqB.gif)

[Image of a clock with the words "Time is running out for justice"] ()

I think its so cool that Antony Easton is tryna uncover the truth about his family's past & honor their memory. I mean, its amazing how one person can make a difference in someone else's life, like with Martin Hartig & the Eisner fam. He literally risked his own life to save them from the Nazis . Its a good reminder that history isnt just somethin we learn about in school, its people's stories that are real & impactful.

I'm also glad Antony got to connect w/ his niece and see his family's legacy live on through her son. That's what it's all about - keepin the memory of those who came before us alive and welcomin new life into our world. Its a beautiful thing

Man, I'm still reading about this stuff online from 2020 but it's crazy to think about how many secrets are hidden in our family histories . I mean, imagine having a great-grandparent who risked their life to save others... it's wild. The fact that Antony's research is helping keep his family's story alive is really beautiful . And it's amazing that he's able to pass this on to his niece and her kid - it's like they're carrying on the legacy, you know?

I'm so moved by Antony's story ! I mean, can you imagine having to flee your home because of something someone else did? The fact that his great-granddad was willing to risk everything to help the Eisner family is truly inspiring . And it's amazing how this act of kindness has had such a ripple effect on Antony's life. It just goes to show that one person can make a real difference . I love that his niece is carrying on the story and passing it down to her son - it's like he's getting a piece of history .

OMG, u guys ! I'm literally shaking right now thinking about Antony Easton's story . Like, his great-granddad Martin Hartig was a total hero for helping those Eisner fam smuggle paintings outta Germany . And that he told his kids about it too? That's what I call bravery ! It's so cool that Antony's niece is passing down the story to her son and giving him the middle name Eisner, btw . It's like, a new generation of heroes is born ! We need more people like Martin Hartig in this world, you feel me? The holocaust is such a dark chapter in history, but it's amazing to see how one act of kindness can make such a difference .

just read about Antony Easton's story and it's honestly so moving... his great-grandad did some serious good deeds during WWII, like smuggling paintings out of Germany for a family in need that's the kind of thing that'll change your life forever, you know? it's amazing how one act of kindness can have such a profound impact on people. and Antony's research is like, totally blowing away some of the misconceptions about his family's history... it's so cool to see how he's passing down this story to his niece's kid it's definitely making me think more about my own family's history too

I'm still blown away by Antony's story ! I mean, can you imagine having to flee your home due to a war? The fact that his great-grandfather risked everything to save the Eisner family is just mind-blowing . And the paintings... hiding them in clothes? That's insane!

It's amazing how one person's actions can have such a profound impact on future generations. I love that Antony's niece has decided to honor her ancestors by giving her son the middle name Eisner – it's like carrying on their legacy .

We need more stories like this being shared so we don't forget what happened during WWII . It's easy to gloss over history, but these kinds of personal connections bring it to life in a way that's truly powerful ️.

OMG, this is sooo cool! I mean, Antony Easton's family history is literally incredible! Can you even believe his great-grandfather Martin Hartig helped smuggle paintings out of Germany? It's like something out of a movie! And that he was opposed to the Nazis and saved the Eisner family... it's just wow. It's amazing how one person can make such a difference in someone else's life.

I'm also loving how Antony's niece is carrying on his great-grandfather's legacy by giving her son the middle name Eisner. It's like, she's keeping his memory alive and sharing his story with a new generation. That's so beautiful . And I think it's really important for us to remember and honor people like Martin Hartig who were brave enough to stand up against the Nazis.

I wonder what other stories are out there waiting to be uncovered? Has anyone else discovered their family history and had an amazing experience?

this story is so emotional I'm getting chills thinking about Antony's grandparents fleeing Nazi Germany and his great-grandfather putting themselves in danger to save others it's crazy how one act of kindness can have such a profound impact on someone's life and now it's being passed down through generations - that makes me happy Antony's story is a reminder that even the smallest acts of bravery can make a huge difference

just heard about this dude Antony Easton and his fam is so cool , like how he found out his great grandad helped these Jewish fams smuggle paintings outta Germany during wwii... that's straight fire and I love that his family's story is being passed down to a new gen now, it's so inspiring , you know? it just goes to show that even small acts of kindness can make a huge difference in people's lives . Antony Easton is like the ultimate hero in my book and I'm defo gonna share this story with all my friends , gotta spread the love and remember the lessons from history

I gotta say, this story about Antony Easton is super inspiring ! Discovering his family's history and learning about his great-granddad Martin Hartig's bravery in hiding paintings for the Eisner family is mind-blowing . It just goes to show how one person can make a huge difference in someone else's life, even if it's just by doing something small like that . And I love that Antony's niece has decided to carry on the legacy by giving her son the middle name Eisner - it's amazing to see how stories like this are being passed down through generations

omg u guys i just read the craziest thing about this british guy antony easton and his fam's WWII story his great-granddad martinhartig literally helped the eisner family smuggle paintings outta germany by hiding them in clothes lol what a hero! it's wild that he was opposed to the nazis and saved so many people. and now antony's niece is making her son's middle name eisner - like, what a beautiful way to keep their story alive it's all about preserving history & honoring those who came before us

I mean, it's nice that Antony Easton is trying to uncover his family's past, I guess... but let's be real, he's probably just digging up old dirt and drama that's better left buried . And what's with the Eisner family getting all the attention? It's not like Antony's family didn't do anything heroic either... they were just trying to survive, you know? Still, I suppose it's good that his niece is keeping her son's middle name, maybe he'll actually learn about his family's history and maybe even become a historian himself... or maybe he'll just end up being another forgetful kid . Anyway, the story's nice, but let's not get too sentimental about it, okay?

so this guy Antony Easton is digging through his family's history and finds out his great-grandpa was basically a secret hero during WWII, smuggling art for Jews to escape Nazi Germany . I mean, what's the protocol with that kinda thing? Did he get a medal or something?

and now the story is being passed down through generations, which is awesome, but also kinda weird considering some of these family members had it tough during the war... it's like they're saying "Hey, we've got some art to show for it!" .

anyway, kudos to Antony for keeping his great-grandpa's story alive and reminding us all that individual acts can make a difference in someone's life .

I'm still giving it to 8/10 . I mean, this is some crazy cool family history stuff! The fact that Antony's great-grandad was helping Jewish families smuggle art out of Germany at a time when the Nazis were getting all sinister is just mind-blowing. And that his own kids told him about it? That's like something out of a movie . But what really gets me is how this story has come full circle and Antony's niece is now honoring her family's history by passing down the middle name Eisner to her son. It's like, the past isn't just in the past anymore; it's living on through future generations . And can we talk about how important it is for us to remember and learn from these kinds of stories?

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this story . I mean, it sounds like Martin Hartig was a pretty cool dude for helping out the Eisner family in such a big way. But what really gets me is that he did all this without expecting anything in return - just because it was the right thing to do. That's some serious heroism right there .

But what I find really interesting is how Antony's great-grandfather's actions have had an impact on his life so much later on. It's like, his story has been passed down through generations and it's still affecting people today .

I'm also curious to know more about the property that Martin Hartig helped the Eisner family with. Was it really abandoned or just lost to Antony due to bureaucratic red tape? I'd love to see some sources on this one .