Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century - Violet Larimer

 

 

 

Blog 3 - Nazi-Era Looted Art and Restitutions

 

Charles Doyle

Columbus College of Art & Design

ARTH3101:  Critical Issues Contemporary Art

Joanne Keston

November 8, 2023

Blog 3 - Nazi-Era Looted Art and Restitutions

Now we get to the most difficult part of the story, events in 1938 leading up to and including Kristallnaacht, which translates to ‘the night of the broken glass’.  This was a night of horror as Jewish shops were vandalized, and the Nazis started moving people from their homes to ghettos and confiscating most, if not all, their possessions.  It is a story of betrayal on a large scale, the disappearance of trust, and death, as well as a campaign of persecution, expropriation, and forced emigration.  (Ltd., 2000, p. 121)

            Hitler was fully in control at the beginning of 1938.    He was convinced he had come to fulfill the curse of the Jews as stated in the New Testament: “His [Jesus’s] blood be upon us and upon our children” (Ltd., 2000, p. 125).  In January Dachau concentration was enlarged.  All European countries throughout this year instituted very strict immigration policies.  As the fist of Hitler closed tighter and tighter around the Jews he so loathed, they had no where to go.  For example, in Poland a law was enacted that anyone without a passport would not be allowed passage into the country.  Then they enacted a law voiding the passports of any Jew that did not live in Poland.  For Polish Jews living in Germany, it meant they no longer had a country, nowhere to call home.    Other countries in Europe established similar laws.  

            In February 1938, Hitler appointed himself supreme commander of the Wehrmacht.  March 12, 1938, the German Army entered Vienna, Austria.  Austria is annexed to Germany in a process called Anschluss.  During this time it is said Austria joined with Hitler and his policies enthusiastically, welcoming the Germans with open arms.  They immediately started imitating Germany’s treatment of the Jews.  Jews were beaten, robbed and shot, rounded up in groups, humiliated and tortured.  Every Jewish business was targeted for takeover by the Austrians in a process called ‘Aryanization’ in France (Ltd., 2000, p. 204), Germany (Ltd., 2000, pp. 127–128), Luxembourg (Ltd., 2000, p. 202), and Poland (Ltd., 2000, pp. 170, 182).  Over 5 years of antisemitic legislation from Germany became law in Austria over the course of a month.  

Figure 1Blue line shows route on the Danube.

            There are many things we do not understand about this timeframe in Europe.  Dr. Kurt von Schuschnigg was the Austrian Chancellor.  There is an account of his meeting with Hitler prior to Anschluss and how resistant he was to the terms Hitler demanded.  He was given 1 week to turn the Austrian Government over to the Nazis.  Nazi-friendly administrative heads were to be installed.  All Nazis in jail were to be amnestied and released.  He was told the Austrian and German armies were to forge a closer alliance.  He had seen his predecessor murdered by the Nazis.  In the end Schuschnigg signed the agreement and Anschluss proceeded.  This was attested to later at the Nuremberg trial.  What choice did he have if he wanted to stay alive?  It was Austria’s death warrant. (Shirer, 1970, pp. 328, 329)

Jews endured many humiliations.  Thousands of Synagogues were burned, businesses confiscated.  Jews were forced to scrub the streets, sometimes with their lingerie.  In some places quotas were placed on the number of Jews who could hold jobs.  The police would ask for identity cards that had to be provided when demanded.  Licenses of Jewish doctors are canceled.  Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, was given the Third Reich’s medal of the Grand Cross of the German Eagle because of his outspoken antisemitic positions. (Ltd., 2000, p. 125).  Several concentration camps were established, one at Mauthausen in Austria, one in Flossenbürg, Germany.   There was an effort to overthrow Hitler in September 1938, which failed.  As the German process continued the authorities in the countries had to supply the number of non-Aryans that were killed, in some cases requiring a separate count for men, women and for children.  (Ltd., 2000)

            The German process of deporting Jews continued.  When the Grynszpan family was deported to Zhaszyñ, their distraught son named Herschel entered the German Embassy in Paris and mortally wounded Third Secretary of Legation Ernst Vom Rath (Ltd., 2000, p. 140), who died 3 days later.    As a reaction, Hitler authorized Hermann Göring to deal with all Jewish political issues.  

Figure 2  The aftermath of Kristallnacht, November 9 & 10, 1938

November 9 and 10, Kristallnacht (night of the broken glass) occurred across Germany and Austria.  Ninety-one jews are killed; others are beaten.  Thirty thousand male jews are sent to concentration camps.  All their possessions become the property of the state or sometimes German Officers.  

 

Figure 3  Above & Below - Bullet Holes still in building from German Arum, Liberty Square, Budapest, Hungary.  By Chuck Doyle

Figure 4 Picture we took of The Shoes along the Danube in May 2023 – by Donna Doyle

Figure 5  Shoes along the Danube of those murdered by Arrow Cross – This is clearer from Wikipedia.

On our tour we were told People were force-marched to the bank of the Danube, told to remove their shoes because of their value, then men, women, and children (including infants) were shot in the back of the head.  If they did not fall into the Danube, they were pushed into it by their executioners. 

 

 

Figure 6  Inside the newly built Hungarian Parliament.  by Chuck Doyle

The original Hungarian Parliament building, as with many other older buildings, was destroyed during the Siege of Budapest.  We were told on our tour that the city was being defended by Hungarian & Nazi forces and encircled by the Red Army and Romanian Army.  Budapest was reduced to rubble.  

 

 

Figure 7  Inside the new Parliament Building by Chuck Doyle

Figure 8  New Parliament Building, Budapest, Hungary.  by Chuck Doyle

 

Figure 9 Freedom Square, Budapest, Hungary.  By Chuck Doyle

Freedom Square is a mixed-up jumble of Monuments in Budapest, Hungary.  They were willing participants in the Germans persecution and murder of Jews.  The statue in this square is an angel representing Budapest and an Eagle representing the Nazis attacking the city.  We were told that post-WWII all efforts were made to hide the Hungarian full-throated support of Hitler and the extermination of Jews and others deemed enemies of Hitler.  There als
o is a monument to the Soviet liberation of Hungary in World War II from Nazi Germany – we were told there is an ongoing fight to get that removed.  On the west side of the square is the American Embassy.  

 

Figure 10  Picture in Freedom Square of People being relocated being marched at gunpoint - by Donna Doyle

Figure 11  Suitcase in Freedom Square with a pair of shoes belonging to one of the Jews relocated - by Donna Doyle

Figure 12  A shoe in Freedom Square belonging to one of the people relocated - By Donna Doyle

Figure 13  Cathedral in Budapest, Hungary with school children preforming by Chuck Doyle

            Anschluss began the flow of anything with intrinsic value from Jews, major museums, churches and other institutions or people deemed enemies by Hitler to the State.  This included but is not limited to carpets, silver, gold, and artwork – many pieces by masters.  Because of allied bombing the Germans hid their treasure in underground abandoned mines.  One such place was Althusser salt mines. (Muller, 2010, p. 207) The treasures would languish in underground storage until the war ended, at which time the effort to repatriate to the rightful owner.  This effort was complicated by the millions who died, either by firing squad, gas chambers, or other means when the objects were appropriated by the Nazis.    

            In the next section we will delve much more deeply into the fate of these stolen treasures.  

“A thousand years will pass, and the guilt of Germany will not be erased.”  –Hans Frank, Governor General of Poland, before he was hanged at Nuremberg. (Shirer, 1970, End Table of Contents section)

 

 

 

References

Ltd., P. I. (2000). The holocaust chronicle. Publications International, Ltd.

Muller, M. (2010). Lost lives, lost art: Jewish collectors, nazi art theft and the quest for justice. Frontline Books,.

Shirer, W. L. (1970). The rise and fall of the third reich (1st ed.). Fawcett Crest.