Michal & Renata Hornstein

Michal Hornstein was born in Krakow, Poland. A graduate of the business school of that city, he was there during Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. He was arrested for deportation to Auschwitz, but escaped by jumping from the train and hid in the forests of Czechoslovakia. He then went into hiding in Budapest until the Russian army arrived in 1944. Michal then escaped to Bratislava, where he met his future wife. Renata Witelson was born in Lodz, Poland. She was just a young girl when her family took refuge in Warsaw at the beginning of the war. When her parents were imprisoned, Renata fled to Krakow and went on to join her uncles in Budapest. To avoid Nazi persecution, she set off again, this time in the direction of Bratislava. That’s where she met Michal, who had sought refuge among loved ones. At the end of the war, in 1946, the couple settled in Rome, where they married. Fascinated by art, particularly the work of the Dutch and Italian old masters, Renata brought Michal to the great museums of Rome and together they began to build their famous collection.

In 1951, the couple immigrated to Montréal. Michal Hornstein went into business, In 1952, he founded Federal Construction Ltd., a real-estate company dealing in apartment buildings and shopping centres, and served as president. A discerning art collector, he was involved with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) since 1970, initially as a member of the board of trustees. He then became vice-president of the board in 1979 and, 1982, chair of the acquisition committee for European art before 1900. For more than 40 years, Michal and Renata Hornstein showed tremendous generosity to the MMFA, donating a number of masterpieces by old masters and offering financial help for the acquisition of important works.

In 2012, Michal and Renata Hornstein decided to donate their collection of old masters to the MMFA, comprising about 80 works with a value in excess of $75 million, the largest private modern history donation to a Quebec museum and the second largest in Canada. Recognized by international specialists, this collection is a national treasure without rival. In fact, the collection’s estimated value does not accurately measure its importance, because today it would be impossible to collect such a variety of canvases by old masters. Featuring mainly paintings, it covers several centuries, from the Renaissance to the advent of modern art.

The donation of this collection, which recounts the story of their lives, is testimony to the Hornsteins’ commitment to the MMFA – which they dedicated themselves to for over 40 years – as well as their affection for Montréal. It is a unique legacy for the MMFA, Montréal, Quebec and Canada. With this major addition, the MMFA can now lay claim to a major international-calibre collection of Dutch and Flemish art. To house the collection, the MMFA will inaugurate an international art pavilion in 2017, as part of Montréal’s 375th anniversary.

In addition to their involvement with the MMFA, Michal and Renata Hornstein were outstanding philanthropists. Their major contributions to health care and education is testimony to their concern for the well-being of their fellow citizens. In the realm of health care, this couple was one of the major benefactors of the Montreal Heart Institute, the Montreal General Hospital, the Hôpital Notre-Dame, the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Jewish General Hospital. In the field of education, they provided generous support to the Université de Montréal, Concordia University and McGill University. Through their great generosity and their unbridled support for museums, hospitals and universities, Michal and Renata Hornstein contributed to the economic and cultural vitality of Montréal as well as its influence locally, nationally and internationally.

Michal and Renata Hornstein both died in 2016. They were inducted into the Academy of Great Montrealers in the Cultural category in 2012 and were named Commanders of the Ordre de Montréal in 2016.