Even before 1938 the National Library in Vienna was already very interested in acquiring the literary estate and library of the author Arthur Schnitzler (1862–1931). Following the annexation of Austria, his son Heinrich Schnitzler (1902–1982) succeeded in preventing the Gestapo from gaining access to the estate and the valuable autograph collection. But after Heinrich Schnitzler's property was confiscated in 1939 the National Library helped itself to the extensive library as well as numerous private photographs.

When the library was restituted between 1947 und 1949, numerous works were missing or incomplete. It took until two decades after Heinrich Schnitzler's death before additional books and the private photographs, the restitution of which had been so important to him, were located in the course of comprehensive provenance research. The items were returned to Heinrich Schnitzler's heirs in early 2005.