Restitution of a Pechstein drawing from the Brücke-Museum

The State of Berlin is returning Max Pechstein’s drawing Pair of Dancers (1910) to the heirs of Dr. Hans Heymann. The work had previously been in the Brücke-Museum since 1971, having once formed part of the important Pechstein collection belonging to Jewish economist and art patron Hans Heymann. The collection was confiscated during the National Socialist era, including the drawing. The work was purchased through the Berlin art market. The provenance research was carried out at the Brücke-Museum from the end of 2018 with the support of the German Lost Art Foundation and the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.

An art lover and art patron who was originally from Königsberg, Dr. Hans Heymann (1885-1949) founded an insurance company, was an innovator who was involved in the insurance industry and the international banking and currency reform, and acted as an advisor to the Foreign Office during the Weimar Republic. Inspired by his older brother, the writer Walther Heymann (1882-1915), he assembled one of the most important early collections of works by expressionist artist Max Pechstein from 1909 onwards, in close dialogue with the artist himself. Parts of this collection appeared in the publication on Max Pechstein written by his brother Walther Heymann in 1916.

Hans Heymann was persecuted by the National Socialists and fled to New York with his family in 1936. The family’s belongings that had been put into storage in Berlin were confiscated, including the extensive Pechstein collection. The 41 paintings from the collection were handed over to Reichsleiter Rosenberg’s office in 1942: their whereabouts have still not been traced to this day. Several expropriated drawings from the Heymann Collection surfaced on the art market in the post-war period, but most of these have likewise been lost. Immediately after the end of the Second World War, Hans Heymann started searching for his collection with the support of Max Pechstein, who made enquiries to the Allied authorities in person. Three generations of the Heymann and Pechstein families have worked together to attempt to reconstruct the collection. Despite considerable efforts, the majority of the collection is still missing.

The heirs have loaned the drawing to the Brücke-Museum for the exhibition Biographies of Modern Art. Collectors and Their Works, where it will be on show from 1 September. The exhibition provides insights into the work of provenance research at the Brücke-Museum, focussing on the biographies of the former owners. In addition to Hans Heymann, these included his brother, the writer Walther Heymann, art historian Rosa Schapire, art critic Max Osborn, collector Rosy Fischer, salonière Elsa Glaser, banker Hugo Simon and art dealer Victor Wallerstein. The exhibition seeks to commemorate these personalities and honour their commitment to the artists of Die Brücke and German Modernism.

In addition, the publication Provenienzforschung zur Brücke-Kunst [“Provenance Research on Brücke Art”] will appear in the Brücke-Archiv series, containing a text on the provenance history of the Pechstein drawing and the Heymann Collection.

To the Brücke-Museum project

To the exhibition at the Brücke-Museum