The Nazi Plunder

Adolf Hitler took art very seriously and during his 12-year reign as German Fhrer, the international art industry was demolished. It has een estimated that Hitler stole over !"#,### artworks during the war. $he years etween 1%&& and 1%'" are a la(k hole in the art (ommunity, with thousands of )ie(es of art (hanging hands and going missing. *uring +orld +ar II, the ,a-is went on a ram)age destroying and stealing .uro)ean art. /ri(eless )ie(es of art were au(tioned off at e0tremely low )ri(es. $his has (reated a ma1or )ro lem in the art (ommunity that remains evident today. /eo)le )ur(hased stolen art and the vi(tim2s families want their )ossessions a(k. /lundering o((urred from 1%&& until the end of +orld +ar II, )arti(ularly y military units known as the 3unsts(hut-, although most )lunder was a(4uired during the war. In addition to gold, silver and (urren(y, (ultural items of great signifi(an(e were stolen, in(luding )aintings, (erami(s, ooks, and religious treasures. Although most of these items were re(overed y agents of the 5onuments, Fine Arts, and Ar(hives )rogram 65FAA7, affe(tionately referred to as the 5onuments 5en, on ehalf of the Allies, immediately following the war, many are still missing. +hile the ,a-is were in )ower, they )lundered (ultural )ro)erty from every territory they o((u)ied. $his was (ondu(ted in a systemati( manner with organi-ations s)e(ifi(ally (reated to determine whi(h )u li( and )rivate (olle(tions were most valua le to the ,a-i 8egime. $he $hird 8ei(h amassed hundreds of thousands of o 1e(ts from o((u)ied nations and stored them in several key lo(ations, su(h as 5us9e :eu de /aume in /aris and the ,a-i head4uarters in 5uni(h. As the Allied for(es gained advantage in the war and om ed Germany;s (ities and histori( institutions, Germany < egan storing the artworks in salt mines and (aves for )rote(tion from Allied om ing raids. $hese mines and (aves offered the a))ro)riate humidity and tem)erature (onditions for artworks.< +ell known re)ositories of this kind were mines in 5erkers, Altaussee and =iegen. $hese mines were not only used for the storage of looted art ut also of art that had een in Germany and Austria efore the eginning of the ,a-i rule. *egenerate art was legally anned y the ,a-is from entering Germany, and so on(e designated was held in what was (alled the 5artyr;s 8oom at the :eu de /aume. $he Allies (reated s)e(ial (ommissions, su(h as the 5onuments, Fine Arts and Ar(hives 65FAA7 organi-ation to hel) )rote(t famous .uro)ean monuments from destru(tion, and after the war, to travel to on(e-,a-io((u)ied territories to find ,a-i art re)ositories. In 1%'' and 1%'" one of the greatest (hallenges for the <5onuments 5en< was to kee) Allied for(es from )lundering and <taking artworks and sending them home to friends and family<> +hen <off-limits< warning signs failed to )rote(t the artworks the <5onuments 5en< started to mark the storage )la(es with white ta)e, whi(h was used y Allied troo)s as a warning sign for une0)loded mines. $hey re(overed thousands of o 1e(ts, many of whi(h were )illaged y the ,a-is. $he Allies found these artworks in over 1,#"# re)ositories in Germany and Austria at the end of +orld +ar II. In summer 1%'", ?a)t. +alter Farmer e(ame the (olle(ting )oint;s first dire(tor. $he (olle(ting )oint also re(eived materials from the 8ei(hs ank and ,a-i-looted, /olish, liturgi(al (olle(tions. At its height, +ies aden stored, identified, and restituted a))ro0imately !##,### individual o 1e(ts in(luding )aintings and s(ul)tures, mainly to kee) them away from the =oviet Army and wartime re)arations. $he Allies (olle(ted the artworks and stored them in (olle(ting )oints, in )arti(ular the ?entral ?olle(tion /oint in 5uni(h until they (ould e returned. $he identifia le works of art, that had een a(4uired y the Germans during the ,a-i rule, were returned to the (ountries from whi(h they were taken. It was u) to the governments of ea(h nation if and under whi(h (ir(umstan(es they would return the o 1e(ts to the original owners.