Systematic research into the provenance of selected paintings acquired in 1933-45 and in the period after the Second World War, as well as paintings and individual work complexes by Rudolf Levy and Max Slevogt created before 1945

The Museum Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern had its origins in the Pfälzischen Gewerbemuseumsverein (Palatinate Arts and Crafts Museum Association) and the Gewerbe-Museum (Arts and Crafts Museum) founded by it. Accordingly, the collection originally consisted mainly of works of arts and crafts and the museum was linked to the teaching activities of the Arts and Crafts school, now the Meisterschule für Handwerker Kaiserslautern (MHK).

After the turn of the century, for the first time paintings found their way into the museum - starting with the extensive donation from Joseph Benzino (1819-1893). In the interwar years, the museum mainly acquired graphic works by modern artists, whereby the support and collection of local Palatinate artists always played a major role.

During the National Socialist era, the museum had few funds at its disposal. Nevertheless, a few acquisitions were made, including works by Max Slevogt. The sources for this are sparse - there are neither inventory books nor archival documents from this period. However, these acquisitions represent only a small proportion - most of the paintings were acquired after 1945. The museum used a network of art dealers and private individuals. Some acquisitions were arranged through contacts with art historians and museum directors, as the mpk was known for its collection focus on Weisgerber, Slevogt, Purrmann & co. Several works were also acquired through donations and bequests from private individuals and artists.

The aim of the project is to systematically research the provenance of selected paintings that were acquired during the Nazi era and in the decades that followed - as well as individual groups of paintings by Max Slevogt and Rudolf Levy - in order to identify cultural assets that were possibly or definitely seized as a result of Nazi persecution.

The results of the research will be presented at events such as the Provenance Research Day. In addition, the research results will be presented in a (part-)exhibition as part of the museum's 150th anniversary celebrations.

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