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Degenerate Art" in the Third Reich'

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Degenerate Art Primacy of ldeology? The Confiscation and Exchange of "Degenerate Art" in the Third Reich' A Thesis Presented to the Centre for European Studies and General Linguistics The University of Adelaide ln Partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts By Chiew-Lee Khut October 2001 ABSTRACT THE PRIMACY OF IDEOLOGY? THE CONFISCATION AND EXCHANGE OF ..DEGENERATE ART'' IN THE THIRD REICH' as an The campaign against "degenerate art" is conventionally depicted by historians ideologically driven crusade against those artists whom the National Socialists practice the branded as "degenerate". This aim of this thesis is to show how in National Socialists sacrificed ideological considerations to the material advantages that could be gained from the sale of "degenerate art". ln practice the term ,,degenerate,,was extended beyond modern art to include French lmpressionist and Post-lmpressionist art, specifically because they were highly saleable. This is evinced by the sales of "degenerate att" which were conducted by the sales Reichministerium für Votksklärung und Propaganda (RMVP). The record of the compiled by the propaganda ministry in the summer ol 1941, provide conclusive financial evidence that the Reich government compromised its ideological position for gain. The sale of "degenerate art" conducted by order of the Reich at the Galeñe practice of Fischer auction in Lucerne in 1939, provides further evidence that the confiscation was economically driven. The diminishing importance of ideology is evinced by the purchase of lmpressionist and Post-lmpressionist art by German officials and rnuseums between the period 1941 and 1942. That German museums sought to replenish their depleted co¡ections with acguisitions of French lmpressionist and Post-lmpressionist art, suggests that while this art was regarded as "degenerate" in theory, in practice museums were able to purchase "degenerate art'without any difficulties. The fact that German museums were allowed to purchase officially proscribed art again suggests that the commercial exploitation of 'degenerate art'took precedence to the ideological justifications which had originally been employed to provide the justification for the practice of confiscation' The willingness for German officials to benefit commercially from the disposal of ,,degenerate art" is also evinced by their disposal of "degenerate art" through a series of exchanges between 1941-1943. The method of exchange became a favoured means of acquisition after the issuance of an ed¡ct prohibited the transportation of "degenerate art" to the Reich. The sustained demand for ,,degenerate art" among German dealers after 1941 is also indicated from their proscribed art in the eagerness to engage in exchanges and sales involving officially period between 1941-1943 lv STATEMENT of any other This work contains no material that has been accepted for the award best of the degree or diploma in any university, or other tertiary institution. To the written authois knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or author by another person, except where due reference is made in the text. The hereby gives consent to this copy of my thesis, when deposited in the university Library, being available for loan and photocopy¡ng' v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Peter First of all I would like to express my greatest thanks to my supervisor, Dr' of this thesis. Monteath, whose ideas and opinions were invaluable in the writing I also owe a special thanks to several people, who provided the archival sources consulted in this thesis. These include Kenneth Heger from the National Archives in washington D.C. He kindly provided me with a list of Detailed Bamey lntenogatíon Reports of the Offrce of Strategic Se/vices; Alex Chanter, and perkins, from Special Collec{ions at the Nationat Art Library, of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. They provided me with information about the Nazi-compiled the typescript list of "degenerate art". I would especially like to thank Dr. Röder, photocopies of some curator of the Kaiser wthelm Museum, Krefeld, who gave me gave a of the correspondence of the museum during the Nazi period' She also me book courtesy of the museum, which comprises of letters of correspondence from from this period. I would also like to express my appreciation to Dr. Andrea Raschèr about the Bundes amt für Kuttur (Swiss Federal Office of Culture), who spoke to me the compilicty of Swiss art dealers in the trade in looted art during the Second World War. He also gave me a book written by Thomas Buomberger, a Winterthur historian, of who the Swiss Federal Office of Culture consulted for information on the topic plundered art. I am grealy indebted to Marc Burri for translating articles from German to English. He also accompanied me on many visits to library of the Eidgenösstsche Technische Hochschule in Zurich, to photocopy articles from the Völkischer Beobachter. He was also very helpful in arranging my visit to Bundesamtfür Kulturin Berne. vt TABLE OF CONTENTS A8STRACT............. .....11-lll .tv ACKNOUULEDGEMENTS................ ¡.¡ a. V rNTRODUCT|ON....... 1-17 NRrto¡'rRu soctAltsr cULTURAL pollcY... ........1-9 Mernoool-ocy, AIMS, n¡¡o SouRce MRrennts... ... ..1 0-1 3 SrnucruRe .....14-17 CHAPTER I . THE EVOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL SOCIALIST VISUAL ARTS POLICY rN THE PERTOD 1929-1937 ...........18-39 THe Rrseoirrre Knupraurvorüa Deurscut Kunun, 1929-1933... ......19-27 Tne En¡eRcENcE oF rue NSD-SruDENTENBuruo OppostloN, 1 93 1 - 1 935. ..28-32 Tue SrRuocLE FoR MooeRru Anr ns SeeN av tue Vötxtscuta BeoaecHTER tN THE PERToD 1934-1935... ...33-39 CHAPTER 2 . THE CONFISCATION AND DISPOSAL OF GERMANY'S PUBLIC COLLECTIONS OF "DEGENERATE ART'" 1936.1941 .40-66 Tnt erurnnr¡-¡r Kuusr Axno¡rt... .....43-47 ,scuen THe Gn¿en n F Aucno¡u, LuceRNE, SwlrzrRnruo, 30 Jurue 1 939... ... ..48-55 Tnt e¡'trearcre Kuusr Tvpescnpr......... ..56-66 CHAPTER 3 . THE CONFISCATION AND DISPOSAL OF "DEGENERATE ART" rN FRENCH COLLECTTONS, 1940-1943 .....67-88 Tne ORtcnt Rlr¡o FurucloN oF rne Elrusnrzsrna RacusLEtrER RosEruaeRe ....68-81 Tne PuRc¡rASE oF Fnerucn l¡¡pRessrotlsr AND MooeRru ART By Grnunru Museun¡s nruo Orncrnls, 1941-1943... ....82-88 CHAPTER 4 - EXCHANGES OF "DEGENERATE ART'' CONDUCTED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE ERR, 1941.1943 ..89-IO5 APPEND|CES........... .............113-146 1 . Tne ENTARTETE Kur'tsr Tvpescrupr... .. .. ... .113-1 1 I 2.Tue ScHerucrrR Pnpens/ Pnnr 1. "AccESStoNS To GeRuRl.¡ Museurvls nruo GRluenlrs DuRr.lc rHE Occupnrtoru or Fnn¡rce... ....1 19-133 3. Tne Scner.¡creR Pnpens/ Pnnr 2 "PURcHASEs or WoRrs or Anr trr¡ FR¡ruce Duntruc rne OccupATtoN Rllo oru Tnt BeHRlr or GeRunru De¡leRs Rruo OrrtcrALS'... .134-141 4. LErren rRon¡ DR. SRerNe RöorR, CuRRron oF THE KuseaWtuetu MusEuM, .... Dnreo 12 Mnv 1999... ...142 vll LANGE, DnreO 21 5. Lerren Slorueo ey Hen¡rRÎ.t LRltoe's secRerRRV rO n Dn. MurHuRt¡tt Ju1Y 1942... """"143 FORCES IN FRANCE, DRTEO 27 MEV 6. CENTITICRTE ISSUED BY THE CON¡¡¡RI,¡OER OF THE AN¡¡EO 1942... """144 KÓHN IN THE FOLI<WA¡.IA MUSCUU 7. LETTEN FROM A REGIONAL OTTICE I¡¡ DÜSSEMORF TO DR. ..145 rN EssEN, DRreo 20 Mnv 1942--- 8. LerreR To THE DtReCtoR oF THE lGlsen WlUelu MUseuu FRoM THE PRoVtruZnl- FEUERVSTcHERUNGS-ANsIALT, DATED 17 Apntu 1942' "' ""'i "' "' ""146' 147-155 LETTERS OF CORRESPONDENCE........ BIBLIOGRAPHY...... 156-167 I INTRODUCTION . NATIONAL SOCIALIST CULTURAL POLICY The inaugural exhibition of German art was held at the Haus der Deutschen Kunst in Munich on 1g July 1gg7. A festive procession from Prinzrcgenfensfrasse to the Maximilan monument preceded the exhibition opening, which also marked the opening of the first official building erected under the Nazi régime. Adolf Hitler stated in his speech inaugurating the Haus der Deutschen Kunsf' when the cornerstone of this building was laid, it was with the intention of constructing a temple, not for so-called modern art, but for a true and evedãsting German art, that is, better still, a house for the art of the German people, and not for any inter- national art of the year 1gg7 , '4O, '50 or'60. For art is not founded on time, but on PeoPles.r The exhibition, entifled the Grcße Deutsche Kunsfausstellung, represented the of development of a new German art based upon Nazi racial ideology. The exhibition officially approved art established a cenon by which acceptable styles of art could be defined, with naturalistic and representational art providing the standard by which all styles of art were to be measured. The aestheticisation of Nazi ideology through heroic sculptures that idealised the masculine form, and peasant and family motifs that extolled the virtues of domesticity, rendered art as a tool of Nazi propaganda. The exhibition of "degenerate art" provided an antithesis to the expression of the Nazi aesthetic embodied in the Große Deutsche Kunsfausstellung. The Entaftete Kunsfausstelung was officially opened at the Archâotogiscles lnstituf in Munich on 19 prepare July 1g37. carl schneider, the director of the Heidelberg clinic was invited to the opening address, but was replaced by Adolf Ziegler, the president of the Reichskammer der bildenden Künste (Reich Chamber for Visual Arts). Schneide/s speech entitled, "Entartete Kunst und lrrenkunsfl, expounded upon the theory of the degeneracy of the avant-garde, a theory which had gained widespread popularity in the journal fin de siecle. Schneide/s speech re-appeared as a short essay in the psychiatric Archiv für psychiatríe und Neruenkrankenheiten The theory of degeneracy provided
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