Maria Altmann sought justice

I lived with Maria Altmann for almost four years up until her death in 2011 as her friend, household manager, personal assistant and caregiver. I held medical power-of-attorney for her and managed every aspect of her health and well-being as well as the day-to-day operation of the house in Beverly Hills. We spent well over a 120 hours a week together talking, laughing and learning about each other. I know all of her stories; even the ones that she refused to tell her children.

The Holocaust was, to say the least, the most difficult and traumatic time in her life and she wanted her children to be kept as far away from it as possible. However, I wanted to know every single detail, and she shared with me the entire horrible experience. I can tell you with absolute certainty that it was not about the money! She sold the paintings because her legal bills were in the of millions of dollars. She never spent a dime of that money on herself and gave huge sums to many charities. For her, it was about justice. In fact, she insisted on wearing clothes that were over 40 years old and being driven around in her 20-year-old, beat-up Ford Taurus with faded paint that we nicknamed the “Klimt-mobile.”

Tommi Trudeau

Malibu