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The Munich Art Hoard: Hitler's Dealer and His Secret Legacy
In February 2012, in a Munich flat belonging to the elderly recluse, Cornelius Gurlitt, German customs authorities seized an astonishing hoard of more than 1,400 paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures. When Hildebrand Gurlitt's trove became public in November 2013, it caused a worldwide media sensation.
Catherine Hickley has delved into archives and conducted dozens of interviews to uncover the story behind the headlines. Her book illuminates a dark period of German history, untangling a web of deceit and silence that has prevented the heirs of Jewish collectors from recovering art stolen from their families more than seven decades ago by the Nazis. Hickley recounts the shady history of the Gurlitt hoard and brings its story right up to date, as 21st-century politicians and lawyers puzzle over the inadequacies of a legal framework that to this day falls short in securing justice for the heirs of those robbed by the Nazis. Hickley is a leading voice in German arts and culture and an expert on Nazi-looted art and appeared on the Imagine documentary on Gurlitt in 2014.
Catherine Hickley has delved into archives and conducted dozens of interviews to uncover the story behind the headlines. Her book illuminates a dark period of German history, untangling a web of deceit and silence that has prevented the heirs of Jewish collectors from recovering art stolen from their families more than seven decades ago by the Nazis. Hickley recounts the shady history of the Gurlitt hoard and brings its story right up to date, as 21st-century politicians and lawyers puzzle over the inadequacies of a legal framework that to this day falls short in securing justice for the heirs of those robbed by the Nazis. Hickley is a leading voice in German arts and culture and an expert on Nazi-looted art and appeared on the Imagine documentary on Gurlitt in 2014.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 21, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 6, 2018
A fascinating and well written account of a recluse, a man eternally troubled and clueless about the world around him, so much that he sat on what will probably go down as the most significant sole collection of art in a non-descript space ever. Unfortunately, the origins of these pieces probably died in Auschwitz and similar, but despite this, I really enjoyed reading the back story and some insights into Nazi Germany and the wanton greed and desire they had to fulfil a very strange and art-based goal.
December 25, 2020
In 2012, German customs authorities discovered an incredibly valuable horde of art with a murky past. Catherine Hickley traces the story of how the collection was built up by Hildebrand Gurlitt, an art dealer with anti-Nazi sentiments but pro-Nazi connections, and how it was concealed by his son Cornelius behind a fog of misinformati0n. She then explains some of the "what happened next," showing the challenging debates that surround the status of artwork plundered by the Nazis, or obtained exploitatively from Jews under duress.
This is not a simple story, and Hildebrand Gurlitt is a complex person to understand. He was himself a victim of the Nazi regime in some ways, yet ultimately an opportunist who exploited the system for his own ends, and then attempted to cover up some of his actions through deceit. Cornelius initially followed his father's approach of concealment, but ultimately was willing to do the right thing, which is more than many museums and collectors have done. Although even the question of what "the right thing" entails is a complicated one.
This is an interesting story, which Hickey tells with thorough research and an understanding of the complexities of the circumstances and individuals involved. At points, it was a bit tedious because of the level of detail or pace of the narrative, but worth reading if you're interested in these issues.
This is not a simple story, and Hildebrand Gurlitt is a complex person to understand. He was himself a victim of the Nazi regime in some ways, yet ultimately an opportunist who exploited the system for his own ends, and then attempted to cover up some of his actions through deceit. Cornelius initially followed his father's approach of concealment, but ultimately was willing to do the right thing, which is more than many museums and collectors have done. Although even the question of what "the right thing" entails is a complicated one.
This is an interesting story, which Hickey tells with thorough research and an understanding of the complexities of the circumstances and individuals involved. At points, it was a bit tedious because of the level of detail or pace of the narrative, but worth reading if you're interested in these issues.
August 30, 2016
Highly informative and extremely well researched, although somewhat tedious reading, largely because most of the book goes into enormous detail about the wholesale confiscation of millions of pieces of art by the Nazis, both from occupied territories and from their own citizens, the majority of them Jews. None of this is news, as important as it is.
What was more intriguing was the haphazard set of events that led to the discovery of Cornelius Gurlitt's hoard. Another important (and discouraging) revelation is the extent to which art dealers and museums even to this day remain complicit in preventing rightful owners and their families from recovering or even discovering the existence and whereabouts of the property that was stolen from them. It appears that the murkiness and outright criminality of the art world as portrayed in crime fiction such as The Wild Beasts of Wuhan by Ian Hamilton is not far off the mark!
What was more intriguing was the haphazard set of events that led to the discovery of Cornelius Gurlitt's hoard. Another important (and discouraging) revelation is the extent to which art dealers and museums even to this day remain complicit in preventing rightful owners and their families from recovering or even discovering the existence and whereabouts of the property that was stolen from them. It appears that the murkiness and outright criminality of the art world as portrayed in crime fiction such as The Wild Beasts of Wuhan by Ian Hamilton is not far off the mark!
February 16, 2022
Poate mai ţineţi minte o ştire mai veche, de acum aproape zece ani, despre descoperirea într-un apartament din München a unei colecţii incredibile de picturi celebre. Lucrări de Liebermann, Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Degas, Cézanne, Munch, Marc sau Dix, printre alţii, date dispărute la sfârşitul celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial, fuseseră acum găsite, în urma unui control de rutină al fiscului, în locuinţa unui colecţionar în vârstă de nouăzeci de ani. Era o primă referire publică la ceea ce ulterior s-a numit Colecţia Gurlitt, un tezaur de artă modernă de peste 1.500 de tablouri în ulei, desene, pasteluri, gravuri şi sculpturi valorând sute de milioane de euro. În spatele acestei colecţii stau însă tragediile personale ale posesorilor iniţiali, dar şi ale autorilor artişti. În urmă cu câteva decenii, multe dintre tablourile din colecţie au fost etichetate drept artă decadentă, degenerată - Entartete Kunst - supusă oprobiului public şi menită distrugerii, iar posesorii şi creatorii ei au fost persecutaţi şi de multe ori ucişi. Căci tezaurul a apărut în sumbrii ani ai celui de-al Treilea Reich.
Unul dintre jurnaliştii care s-au ocupat de subiect pe măsură ce acesta se dezvolta a fost Catherine Hickley de la agenţia Bloomberg News. Ea a dorit să-şi extindă cercetarea, rezultând o carte despre soarta postbelică a operelor furate de nazişti. Grafic vorbind, cartea arată impecabil, cu pagini de hârtie velină legate trainic, pe fascicole, în buna tradiţie de odinioară. Coperta cartonată şi supracoperta dau o notă de trăinicie şi eleganţă, perfect echilibrată de altfel cu conţinutul; căci în definitiv în el e vorba, nu-i aşa, de persoane cu un nemaipomenit simţ estetic. Dar şi scrierea în sine este extraordinară. Autoarea expune clar şi curgător întreaga istorie a oamenilor şi tablourilor implicate; nu e vorba numai de o documentare de proporţii, dar şi de ştiinţa expunerii ei logice şi în dozajul necesar unei digerări uşoare din partea cititorului. Un tur de forţă şi în această privinţă. Dacă ar exista un Praxitele al cărţilor, atunci sigur el ar fi sculptat volumul The Munich Hoard. Hitler’s Dealer and his Secret Legacy.
Sunt multe de spus despre povestea colecţiei strânse de Hildebrand Gurlitt în timpul regimului nazist. Grosul cărţii este despre acest proces, pentru ca în partea finală să fie investigat, cu empatie şi discernământ, cadrul legal în care şi astăzi se petrec tentativele de îndreptare a imenselor abuzuri comise de nazişti. În scurta prezentare de aici, mă voi opri doar asupra unor momente din carte pe care le consider potrivite pentru un public - cum e cazul cu cel românesc - mai puţin obişnuit cu faptele petrecute în Germania nazistă.
Continuarea: https://bit.ly/3LBvI2H
Unul dintre jurnaliştii care s-au ocupat de subiect pe măsură ce acesta se dezvolta a fost Catherine Hickley de la agenţia Bloomberg News. Ea a dorit să-şi extindă cercetarea, rezultând o carte despre soarta postbelică a operelor furate de nazişti. Grafic vorbind, cartea arată impecabil, cu pagini de hârtie velină legate trainic, pe fascicole, în buna tradiţie de odinioară. Coperta cartonată şi supracoperta dau o notă de trăinicie şi eleganţă, perfect echilibrată de altfel cu conţinutul; căci în definitiv în el e vorba, nu-i aşa, de persoane cu un nemaipomenit simţ estetic. Dar şi scrierea în sine este extraordinară. Autoarea expune clar şi curgător întreaga istorie a oamenilor şi tablourilor implicate; nu e vorba numai de o documentare de proporţii, dar şi de ştiinţa expunerii ei logice şi în dozajul necesar unei digerări uşoare din partea cititorului. Un tur de forţă şi în această privinţă. Dacă ar exista un Praxitele al cărţilor, atunci sigur el ar fi sculptat volumul The Munich Hoard. Hitler’s Dealer and his Secret Legacy.
Sunt multe de spus despre povestea colecţiei strânse de Hildebrand Gurlitt în timpul regimului nazist. Grosul cărţii este despre acest proces, pentru ca în partea finală să fie investigat, cu empatie şi discernământ, cadrul legal în care şi astăzi se petrec tentativele de îndreptare a imenselor abuzuri comise de nazişti. În scurta prezentare de aici, mă voi opri doar asupra unor momente din carte pe care le consider potrivite pentru un public - cum e cazul cu cel românesc - mai puţin obişnuit cu faptele petrecute în Germania nazistă.
Continuarea: https://bit.ly/3LBvI2H
January 28, 2021
I think I recommended to all of my friends to read this part of history and the book.
It defo manupulates and expresses different types of emotion during the read.
This extract stopped my heart to beat as I imagine that particular episode in reality:
"Cornelius was in his nightshirt when the customs officials and the team from the prosecutor's office, about thirty in all, broke the lock and battered down his door at 6am on 28th February 2011. He sat quietly in a corner, watching as the plain clothes officers packed up the art collection he had pledged to protect, the treasures he said meant more to him than anything else in his life.
Among the many who swarmed through his apartment was the art historian Vanessa Voigt, who had written about Hildebrand Gurlitt in her doctorate. The prosecutor had called her and asked her to look at the pictured. Cornelius, by now smartly dressed in a jacket and tie, had withdrawn to the darkened living room and was sitting in an armchair in the corner, pale and blotchy. Voigt went to introduce herself. "He didn't take it on board at all", she said. "He wasn't communicating , he was in his own world". Cornelius became confused and upser, pacing restlessly around his apartment and muttering to himself repeatedly "Now they are taking everything from me."
It defo manupulates and expresses different types of emotion during the read.
This extract stopped my heart to beat as I imagine that particular episode in reality:
"Cornelius was in his nightshirt when the customs officials and the team from the prosecutor's office, about thirty in all, broke the lock and battered down his door at 6am on 28th February 2011. He sat quietly in a corner, watching as the plain clothes officers packed up the art collection he had pledged to protect, the treasures he said meant more to him than anything else in his life.
Among the many who swarmed through his apartment was the art historian Vanessa Voigt, who had written about Hildebrand Gurlitt in her doctorate. The prosecutor had called her and asked her to look at the pictured. Cornelius, by now smartly dressed in a jacket and tie, had withdrawn to the darkened living room and was sitting in an armchair in the corner, pale and blotchy. Voigt went to introduce herself. "He didn't take it on board at all", she said. "He wasn't communicating , he was in his own world". Cornelius became confused and upser, pacing restlessly around his apartment and muttering to himself repeatedly "Now they are taking everything from me."
October 9, 2020
Well researched and fascinating topic - after hearing about the art hoard discovery and the 'mystery' surrounding it. How people project their different desires onto the art ($'s) or memories (when Jewish families lost everything and everyone sometimes these pieces of art are the only tangible thing left of their family). The tangled web of provenance, laws, and the 'cost' of war on Gurlitt's mental health. Everyone is a victim from this. I would like to see an updated edition - what has happened since 2015. If anything? And also the moral question - what have the large art institutions done since the Gurlitt Hoard? Intriguing, and an issue that will probably never be solved.
September 30, 2017
I bought this as I’m very interested in topics around the theft of art during WW2, and the hunt for the legacy of the Nazis. This book is actually about far more than the title suggests, discussing the way the Gurlitt collection came to be created and the way the Nazis looted art, and also the issues involved it attempts to identify looted art and return it to the rightful owners.
Written in a very readable style, with enough references for those who want to find out more, it’s well worth reading
Written in a very readable style, with enough references for those who want to find out more, it’s well worth reading
February 12, 2018
A wonderful book I started having seen Monuments Men. The story is clearly one of moral agency and how we understand our position in relation to our peers and the bigger picture of our society, what we stand for, what is important to us and others. It will bear rereading as it explores the wider impact of the Holocaust on society and the threat of monoculture. it is a clear demonstration of the clash between the law, Morality, and the individuals role versus the state. a fascinating read.
December 25, 2017
A rigorously researched, meticulous, nuanced study of the systematic looting of artworks. The book teases out the labyrinth of legal consequences, the inherent problem with German laws on possession, title and statutes of limitation that protect the beneficiaries of theft. It also analyses in a sensitive, insightful manner, the motivations and the final reclusive years of Cornelius Gurlitt.,
dnf
March 31, 2025Couldn't finish. Didn't grab me. There was a bit of an emotional anchor at the beginning but it went away and got drowned in names, names, names, art styles, more names. 100% it's me. I'd been reading too many books focused heaveliy on the human element and this one felt a bit on the dry side.
I'm bummed. I wanted to like this one.
I'm bummed. I wanted to like this one.
July 9, 2025
Well researched and enjoyable read. It shows not only how this incredibly valuable collection was accumulated but also how it remained hidden for so many years. It throws light into the dark corners of the art dealing and banking worlds which to this day keep many of their shameful secrets.
April 5, 2018
Amazing - such a worthwhile read.
January 26, 2019
An empathetic account of a piece of history still unfolding in our times. An engaging style, well written and easily accessible.
April 2, 2020
This book is a little difficult to truly get into at first but it's a fascinating account of the Gurlitt art collection and how it was amassed during the Nazis' reign. The author tries her best to be fair and see Gurlitt's motivation (a strange mixture of crusading and greed) in working with the regime. Ever since I finished this, I've been trying to find more and more books on the Nazi loot of art so if anybody has recommendations, please post in the comments below.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews