Germany returns art stolen by Nazis in 1939 to Poland Monday March 31,2014

German Foreign Minister Steinmeier gave the piece to his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski on Monday March 31,2014

Germany has returned an 18th Century painting that was looted from Poland's National Museum by the Nazis in 1939.

The piece by Venetian artist Francesco Guardi, entitled "Palace Stairs", was taken shortly after Germany invaded.
The small painting depicts noblemen talking at the grand stairs of Venice's Doge Palace.
Berlin hopes the move will revive talks over some 300,000 documents, including manuscripts by Mozart and Beethoven, that it wants to recover from Poland.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier handed the work over to his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski at a ceremony on Monday.
After World War Two, the painting went to the University of Heidelberg and then to the State Gallery of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
It was recognised as belonging to Poland in the late 1990s.