Plunder and survival: stories of theft, loss, recovery, and migration of Nazi-uprooted art

Abstract

"Written by a Holocaust survivor whose family collected art, Plunder and Survival tells the stories of principal figures, events, and artworks that contribute to the intricate story of the ruthless Nazi attack on modern art and the art world's subsequent repositioning in America. Each chapter focuses on a selection of artworks, the individuals who owned or acquired them, and those who decided their fate. Since the book spotlights Hitler's crusade against "degenerate" art, readers will encounter many Expressionist works, but they will also find old masters stolen by the Nazis and later restituted. The author has also added a personal element to the text, incorporating autobiographical anecdotes on relatives' special relationships to art, their voyage from Germany to America, and the fate of their collections. Following the main text, the Appendix offers capsule histories of 75 to 100 Nazi-stolen artworks currently housed in U.S. museums"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Growing up with art in pre-World War II Germany -- German Expressionist art finds its champions -- The Nazis cleanse their museums -- Hitler's sales force -- The Lucerne auction and other sales -- Austria : ripe for plunder -- Émigré art dealers and their artists -- Artists in exile : adieu, Europe, hello, America -- Two-faced France -- Holland : a good country confronts evil -- Appendix A : a treasury of looted and migrant works in US museums -- Appendix B : selected cast of characters.