Hermann Goring and the Nazi Art Collection: The Looting of Europe's Art Treasures and Their Dispersal After World War II

by Kenneth D. Alford

Overview

During World War II, the Nazis plundered from occupied countries millions of items of incalculable value estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Spearheaded by Hermann Goring the looting program quickly created the largest private art collection in the world, exceeding the collections amassed by the Metropolitan in New York, the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris and the Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow.

By the end of the war, the Nazis had stolen roughly one-fifth of the entire art treasures of the world. This book explores the formation of the Nazi art collection and the methods used by Goring and his party to strip occupied Europe of a large part of its artistic heritage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786468157
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	04/18/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	269
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Kenneth D. Alford is an internationally known historical consultant for television productions that involve Nazi looting, and is the author of several books. Retired from a career in banking, he lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Preface 1

1 Göring's Life Summary 3

2 Prewar Art 15

3 Goring's Personal Staff 19

4 Art Dealers in Germany 27

5 The Annexation of Austria 39

6 The Invasion of Poland 45

7 Einsatzstab Rosenberg in France 48

8 Art Dealers in France 61

9 The Art Market in Holland 72

10 Art Dealers in Holland 75

11 The Art Market in Belgium and Luxembourg 95

12 The Art Market in Italy 101

13 Art Dealers in Italy 105

14 The Art Market in Switzerland 115

15 Art Dealers in Switzerland 117

16 Göring's War Wealth 124

17 The Flight from Berlin 128

18 Göring's Capture 137

19 The U.S. Acquires the Hermann Göring Art Collection 146

20 The Missing Paintings 154

21 Munich Collection Point 162

Conclusion 181

Appendices

A Items Taken from Hermann Göring at Nuremberg 183

B Emmy, Edda, and Hermann Göring's Jewelry 185

C Paintings and Sculptures, by Artist 190

D Books, Photographs, Dishes, Silver, etc 233

E Objets d'Art 235

F Correspondence Regarding the Reported Finding of the Missing Renders Collection Memling Painting Madonna and Child 247

Chapter Notes 250

Bibliography 257

Index 259

Editorial Reviews

Recommended”—Choice; “a focused study on a major perpetrator of Nazi looting...recommended”—Art Libraries Society of North America; “amazing”—M.G. Paregian, Publisher; “offers a history of the methods used by the Third Reich to strip the occupied European countries of the artistic heritage during WWII”—Reference & Research Book News.

From the Publisher

"offers a history of the methods used by the Third Reich to strip the occupied European countries of the artistic heritage during WWII"

Reference & Research Book News

a focused study on a major perpetrator of Nazi looting...recommended

Art Libraries Society of North America

Recommended

Choice