Provenance research for the inventory of sculptures at the Hamburger Kunsthalle

Initial questions and project objectives

The project examined masterpieces in the Hamburger Kunsthalles sculpture inventory which had previously been categorized as questionable. Under investigation were all acquisitions made after 1933 (87) and those which, according to the current state of research, had entered the museum at an unknown point in time (25). The aim was to clarify the provenance of any object considered questionable. In cases where the suspicion of confiscation as a result of persecution could be confirmed and those where provenance could only be established with gaps, details were entered into the database at www.lostart.de.

The project in numbers

Overall, 112 of the sculptures created before 1945 have unclarified provenance. The provenance in the period 19331945 could be reconstructed for 15 sculptures in this set of objects. In these 15 cases, the identified provenance is lawful because confiscation as a result of Nazi persecution can be ruled out. Further investigation is not required. For 85 objects, it has not yet been possible to conclusively clarify the provenance for the period between 1933 and 1945. There are gaps in provenance, or it cannot be established with certainty that it is lawful. The origin of the object needs to be researched further. The provenance of the remaining 12 objects is classified as questionable for the period 19331945 as there are indications that they were seized as a result of Nazi persecution. There is an urgent need for further research into the origin of these objects too.

List of persons and institutions that are historically relevant to the project

- Abels, Aenne; Cologne (gallery)

- Ahlden (Aller); Kunstauktionshaus Schloss Ahlden (fine art auction house)

- Brabedienne, Ferdinand; Paris (foundry)

- Barth, Richard; Berlin (foundry)

- Bauer, Walter; Berlin (collector)

- Behn, Hermann Franz; Hamburg (previous owner)

- Behrens, Theodor Ernst; Hamburg (private individual, with family)

- Rudolf Springer; Berlin (gallery)

- Bernoulli, Christopher; Basel (intermediary)

- Böhmer, Bernhard; Güstrow (art dealer)

- Böhmer, Peter; Hamburg (poss. previous owner)

- Brinckmann, August; Hamburg (collector)

- Brüll, Ignaz; Vienna (private individual)

- Galerie Brusberg; Berlin (gallery)

- Cassirer, Paul; Berlin (art dealer)

- Chernoff, Noni (private individual)

- Chernoff, Ruth; Pasadena CA, United States (private individual)

- Christiansen, Heinrich; Wedel (previous owner)

- Durrieu, married couple; Hamburg (collectors)

- Eglseder, Frieda and Hans; Dachau (persons involved)

- Emden, Max; Hamburg (collector)

- Emmerich, Rolf; Laupheim (previous owner)

- Falckenberg, Gerda; Munich (purchase mediation, poss. previous owner)

- Feilchenfeldt, Leopoldt; Berlin/Amsterdam/Zurich (collector/art dealer)

- Flechtheim, Alfred; Berlin (art dealer)

- Fosdick, Paulding; New York/Palm Beach (collector)

- Franke, Günther; Munich (art dealer)

- Fritzemeier, A.; Hamburg (previous owner)

- Galerie de France; Paris (gallery)

- Galerie del Vecchio; Leipzig (gallery)

- Galerie Elstir; Paris (gallery)

- Geipel, Paul; Dresden (collector)

- Gerson, Julius; Berlin (previous owner)

- Aktiengesellschaft Gladenbeck; Berlin/Friedrichshafen (foundry)

- Goldschmidt, Jakob; Berlin (previous owner)

- Goldschmidt, J. and S.; Frankfurt am Main/Berlin (gallery)

- González, Roberta; Arcueil (previous owner)

- Graf Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden, Sigmund Maria (previous owner)

- Grosshennig, Wilhelm; Düsseldorf (gallery)

- Hamburg, Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte (today: Hamburgmuseum)

- Happe, Kurt; Bremen (private individual)

- Hartmann, Johannes; Leipzig (private individual)

- Hartung Paul K. G. Offizin; Hamburg (company)

- Hasberg, Erich; Bremen (art dealer)

- Hauswedell & Nolte; Hamburg (auction house)

- Hébrard, A. A.; Paris (foundry)

- Heise, Carl Georg; Hamburg (previous owner)

- Helbing, Hugo; Frankfurt (art dealer)

- Henle, Alwin; Hamburg/United States (private individual)

- Henle, Cecile; Hamburg/Los Angeles (private individual)

- Henle, Paul; Hamburg/Ibiza (sculptor)

- Hertz, Michael; Bremen, (art dealer)

- Höger, Fritz; Hamburg (poss. previous owner)

- Hoffmann, Rudolf; Hamburg (gallery)

- Hofmann, Werner; Hamburg (museum director)

- Holthusen, Agnes; Hamburg (previous owner)

- Hudtwalcker, Carl Heinrich; Oslo (collector)

- Hudtwalcker, Heinrich Carl; Hamburg (collector)

- Huguette Bères; Paris (gallery)

- Isermeyer, Dr. Christian-Adolf; Hamburg (previous owner, executor)

- Jantzen, Johannes; Bad Homburg (and elsewhere) (vendor)

- Kahnweiler, Daniel-Henry/Galerie Louise Leiris; Paris (art dealer)

- Kaibel, Adelheid Emma Henriette; Göttingen (previous owner)

- Kaiser Friedrich-Museum; Berlin

- Kegel-Konietzko, Boris; Hamburg (previous owner, executor)

- Kestner-Gesellschaft; Hanover (art association)

- Ketterer, Roman Norbert; Stuttgart (vendor)

- Kienast, Friedl; Dachau (person involved)

- Klöpper AG; Hamburg (company)

- Kohler, Olga and Rudolf; Berlin (previous owners)

- Galerie Orangerie; Cologne (gallery)

- Krahn, Otto; Hamburg (company)

- Kunstmann, Ludwig (sculptor)

- Lang-Gutfreund, Eva; London (private individual)

- Lehmbruck, Anita; Hamburg (poss. previous owner)

- Lwowski, Hans-Jürgen; Hamburg (vendor)

- Luksch family; Bonn (private individuals)

- Lefèbvre-Foinet, Maurice; Paris (art dealer)

- Leyrer, C.; Munich (foundry)

- Mädler family; Leipzig (poss. previous owners)

- Maguy, Alex/Galerie de lÉlysée; Paris (gallery)

- Modern Art Foundry; New York (foundry)

- Noack, Hermann; Berlin-Friedenau (foundry)

- Osthaus, Karl Ernst; Hagen (collector)

- Pabst, Michael; Munich (art dealer)

- Paret, Susanne; Berlin (private individual)

- Peters, Ms.; Leipzig (previous owner)

- Rauert, Paul and Martha; Hamburg (previous owners)

- Reinheld, Curt; Berlin (private individual)

- Roman Bronze Works; New York (foundry)

- Rossi, Ms.; Hamburg (private individual)

- Rudier, Alexis; Paris (foundry)

- Sauerlandt, Alice and Max; Hamburg (collectors)

- Schellenberg, Carl; Hamburg (museum employee)

- Schlegelmilch, Reinhold; Dachau (private individual)

- Schmidt, Doris; Munich (purchase mediation)

- Schmitz, Paul; Bremen (collector)

- Schmitz, Oskar; Leipzig (poss. previous owner)

- Schreiber, Georg Wilhelm and Mathilde; Hamburg (previous owners)

- Spies, Werner; Bourg-la-Reine (private individual)

- Stadelmann, Vera; Rome (previous owner)

- Stockhausen, Julius; Frankfurt a. M. (previous owner)

- Storck, Cecilia (collector)

- Marguérite Arp-Hagenbach Foundation (poss. previous owner/contracting entity)

- Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast; Düsseldorf

- Susse Frères; Paris (foundry)

- Tillmann, Georg; Hamburg (collector)

- Thümmler family; Leipzig (previous owners)

- Troeger, Eberhard and Katharina; Freiburg/Breisgau (collectors)

- Twardowski-Conrat, Ilse; Munich (sculptor)

- Uecker, Wollf; Lausanne (collector)

- Valsuani, Claude; Paris (foundry)

- Vianello-Chiodo, Marco (previous owner)

- Vierny, Dina; Paris (previous owner)

- Viviano, Catherine; New York (gallery)

- Vogel, Hans; Chemnitz (collector)

- Vogel, Robert; Hamburg (private individual)

- Vollard, Ambroise; Paris (art dealer)

- Vollmann, Richard; Ehrang (previous owner)

- Von Wentzel, Bogislav; Hamburg (art dealer)

- Von Zezschwitz; Munich (auction house)

- Walter, Magnus; Hamburg (private individual)

- Wertheimer, Otto; Paris (art dealer)

- Wetter-Rosenthal, Constance von (sculptor)

- Wildenstein & Co.; New York (gallery)

- Wilm, Hubert; Munich (art historian)

- Zemlinsky, Alexander; Vienna/Larchmont, New York (private individual)

(c) Hamburger Kunsthalle