Summary
The systematic theft of art and cultural treasures has been a recurring tragedy throughout history, reaching its apex during World War II under the Nazi regime. This book delves into the history of Nazi art theft, exploring the motivations, methods, and devastating consequences of their plunder across Europe.
Long before World War II, Napoleon's conquests marked the beginning of organized art theft, setting a precedent for future conflicts. His acquisition of artworks from conquered territories for display in France foreshadowed the Nazis' far more extensive plunder.
The Nazis' art theft operation was multifaceted, involving not just random looting, but also systematic confiscation and calculated exploitation of art markets. Hermann Göring, a prominent Nazi figure known for his interest in art, saw the potential for profit in "degenerate" art, leading to the confiscation and sale of countless masterpieces.
The Nazis' art theft operations began before the formal outbreak of World War II, with the targeting of Jewish owned art in occupied territories such as Austria and Czechoslovakia, which were annexed and brought under Nazi jurisdiction. This was marked by ideological justifications that deemed the targeted art as "degenerate" and unworthy of those deemed racially inferior by Nazi standards.
As the war escalated, the ERR (Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg) became a major player in the Nazi art theft apparatus. Its stated goal of "safeguarding" cultural treasures thinly veiled the systematic looting of Jewish-owned collections and public institutions across occupied Europe, especially France. The ERR's activities were marked by the widespread removal of artworks to Germany under the guise of study and preservation.
The story of Rose Valland is a ray of hope amidst the darkness of Nazi art theft. A curator at the Jeu de Paume, the central repository for stolen art in Paris, she secretly documented the movement of artworks and passed information to the French Resistance at immense personal risk. Her meticulous records later proved crucial for post-war recovery efforts.
To counter the Nazi plunder, the Allies formed the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section (MFAA), known as the Monuments Men. These art historians, architects, and museum curators became soldiers, tasked with protecting monuments and recovering stolen art. Their discoveries in salt mines, castles, and hidden repositories revealed the astounding scale of the Nazi operation.
Among the most famous examples of Nazi art theft is the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Amber Room. Looted from the Catherine Palace near Leningrad, the room, a masterpiece of amber and gold, was reassembled in Germany but vanished at the end of the war, fueling speculation for decades.
The story of Cornelius Gurlitt illustrates the intricate web of Nazi art theft and the complex legal issues surrounding its restitution. Gurlitt's vast collection, discovered by authorities in 2010, consisted of works suspected of being stolen by the Nazis from Jewish owners. Gurlitt's father, an art dealer who did business with the Nazis, raised difficult questions of provenance and restitution under German law.
After the war, the task of art restitution was massive and ongoing. The work of the MFAA, Rose Valland, and countless others led to the return of thousands of artworks to their original owners, but many pieces remain missing. Nazi art theft continues to raise questions about cultural heritage, legal ownership, and moral responsibility in the face of unimaginable greed and destruction.