Confiscated, sold, auctioned – Jewish cultural property in non-state museums in Franconia

The project being run by the Landesstelle für die nichtstaatlichen Museen in Bayern (the Bavarian regional office for non-state museums) applies a deductive method, using the archive as the starting point for approaching the biography of individual collection items: external archive material is used to make deductions about the museum as the current owner. Unlike most provenance research projects, this project does not involve analysis of previously defined museum or library holdings. In addition, there will be a focus on the Franconia region in order to be able to illustrate the municipal and regional characteristics of the confiscations. Before the Nazi era Franconia had the largest Jewish communities in Bavaria, accounting for some two thirds of Bavarian Jews. Furthermore, the focus of the project is not on masterpieces of fine art but on arts and crafts, personal valuables and simple household items. Due to their regional character, these objects were of interest to smaller and locally oriented museums.

The Würzburg Gestapo personal files in particular are being analysed in depth as a key source; it is the second largest preserved collection of its kind. These files document the step-by-step confiscation of items of cultural property, ranging from records of house searches to confiscation lists and auction records listing the names of buyers and hammer prices. In the case of exclusive confiscations and also public auctions, museums were able to get involved so as to enrich themselves with Jewish property. Not only the Jewish upper class fell victim to this systematic looting but essentially anyone who was in possession of items of value. The restitution files of the state archives and personal data from municipal archives are used as supplementary sources. The project promises to yield fresh insights into the biographies of perpetrators and victims as well as into the ways in which the items were distributed in medium-sized and small towns.

Analysing the Gestapo and reparation files provides valuable assistance for the Franconian non-state museums in examining their holdings also for the purpose of restitution. The study will not only be of regional significance, however; the assumption is that it will be possible to trace the whereabouts of items beyond the state borders of Bavaria, also internationally.

The regional offices second project aims to support other museums in their provenance research. Here, the regional office sees itself as an interface between the museums and the archives, aiming to raise awareness of provenance research on both sides.

© Landesstelle für die nichtstaatlichen Museen in Bayern