Austria ? Vienna’s Belvedere Gallery took down five Gustav Klimt paintings Monday and packed them for return to a California woman whose family owned the works when they were stolen by the Nazis.

About 10,000 people had lined up for hours over the weekend for a final glimpse of the cherished paintings, which have hung for decades at the gallery in Belvedere Castle and are considered national treasures.

Last month, an arbitration court ruled that the paintings must be returned to Maria Altmann of Beverly Hills. Austria had hoped to find a way to buy back the paintings, but officials conceded last week they could not afford the $300 million price tag.

Austria’s decision to give up the artworks represents the costliest concession since it began returning valuable art objects looted by the Nazis. The cultural property return law was enacted in 1998.