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The '''Führermuseum''' ([[English language|English]], '''[[Führer]] museum''') was an unrealized [[museum]] complex |
The '''Führermuseum''' ([[English language|English]], '''[[Führer]] museum''') was an unrealized [[museum]] complex planned by [[Adolf Hitler]] for the [[Austria]]n city of [[Linz]] to display the collection of art [[Nazi plunder|plundered]] or purchased by the [[Nazi]]s throughout [[Europe]] during [[World War II]]. |
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The plans for the Linz complex designed by [[Albert Speer]] a included a monumental theatre, an opera house and an Adolf Hitler Hotel, all surrounded by huge boulevards and a parade ground. <ref name="BBC"> {{Citation|last=Bell|first=Bethany|title=Hitler’s Austrian ‘culture capital’|date=3 November 2008|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7705552.stm|accessdate=13 December 2008}}</ref>. A library would house at least 250,000 books; the museum itself would have a colonnaded facade about 500 feet (150 meters) long, in a the design paralleling that of the great Haus für Deutsche Kunst already erected in Munich. It would stand on the site of the present Linz railroad station, which was to be moved four kilometers to the south. <ref name="intelligent-TV"> {{Citation|title= Hitler’s Museum|url= http://www.intelligenttelevision.com/index.php/site/production/hitlers-museum/%7Burl_title_path=site/production%7D| accessdate=13 December 2008}}</ref>. |
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The complex was meant to rival or beat the [[Louvre]] or [[Smithsonian]] in scale. |
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From the Summer of 1939, a collection of art was being built up by [[Hans Posse]], director of the [[Dresden picture gallery]]. <ref name="museum-security">{{Citation|last=Lohr|first=Hanns|title=No Looted Art in Hitlers Museum in Linz|date=20 November 2000|url=http://www.museum-security.org/00/201.html|accessdate=13 December 2008}}</ref>. In March [[1943]], [[Hermann Voss]] , an art historian from [[Weiesbanden]] took over this job, and Hitler appointed him as supervisor of Sonderauftrag Linz (Special Assignment Linz). <ref name="museum-security"></ref> to purchase art for the Führermuseum, financed by sales of Hitler’s book [[Mein Kampf]] and stamps showing his portrait. <ref name="museum-security"></ref> <ref name="DW">{{Citation|last=DW Staff|title =The Mystery of Hitler's Lost Art Collection |publisher=[[www.dw-world.de|Deutsche Welle]] |date=24 August 2008 |url= http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1689856,00.html/ |accessdate=13 December 2008}}</ref>. [[Gottfried Reiemer]] also worked on the project. In February, Voss and Reimer moved the paintings to the salt mines of [[Altaussee]] to protect them from increased bombing. <ref name="museum-security"></ref> <ref name="intelligent-TV"></ref>. In total, at least 10,000 art objects were collected for the project. Some of the art collected included Vermeer’s "Portrait of the Artist in His Studio," to works by Breughel, Durer, Fragonard, Rembrandt, and Rubens. <ref name="intelligent-TV"></ref>. Detailed records of the collection were kept at Schloss Weesenstein, a 13th-century castle once home to the King of Saxony. <ref name="intelligent-TV"></ref> |
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There is some debate about whether art for the Führermuseum was stolen or purchased. [[Hanns Christian Löhr]] argues in "The Brown House of Art" that only a small portion of the collection – possibly 12 percent – came from seizures or expropriation.<ref name="DW"></ref> Hermann Voss’ secretary argues that the collection only came from legal sources <ref name="museum-security"></ref>. |
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As the Allies approached Linz, the commandant of the Linz facility ordered the salt mines and artworks destroyed, but this order was not carried out. Most of the collection was recovered, but some was not. Some argue that stolen artwork is hanging in museums and collections around the world. <ref name="DW"></ref> |
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After [[World War II]], the American Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) of the [[Office of Strategic Services]] (OSS) made thirteen detailed reports on the Linz museum and the Nazi plundering of art. <ref name="petropoulos">{{Citation|first=Prof. Jonathan |last=Petropolous|title = Linz: Hitler's Museum and Library: Consolidated Interrogation Report No. 4, 15 December 1945, The Reports of the Office of Strategic Services Art Looting Investigation Unit |url= http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/hist/jpetropoulos/linz/linztable.html/ | accessdate=13 December 2008 }}</ref>. These reports were synthesised into four consolidated reports; the fourth of these was written by S. Lane Faison covering the Führermuseum. <ref name="petropoulos"></ref>. These reports focussed on returning art to rightful owners. |
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In [[Eastern Europe]], [[Stalin]] charged [[Mikhail Khrapchenko]] with taking many of the Führermuseum artworks to stock Soviet art galleries <ref name="intelligent-TV"></ref>. Khrapchenko said "it would now be possible to turn Moscow’s Pushkin Museum into one of the world’s great museums, like the British Museum, the Louvre, or the Hermitage." |
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In [[2009]], The Linz Castle Museum will hold an exhibition about the Führermuseum. [http://www.oberoesterreich.at/en/sommer/2063740/Cultural-Capital-of-the-Fuehrer.html] |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.welt.de/data/2004/04/01/258889.html 2004 article] from ''[[Die Welt]]'' (in [[German language|German]]) |
*[http://www.welt.de/data/2004/04/01/258889.html 2004 article] from ''[[Die Welt]]'' (in [[German language|German]]) |
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*[http://hist.academic.claremontmckenna.edu/jpetropoulos/linz/linztable.html ''OSS Report on Hitler's Museum''] (from Prof. Jonathan Petropolous) |
*[http://hist.academic.claremontmckenna.edu/jpetropoulos/linz/linztable.html ''OSS Report on Hitler's Museum''] (from Prof. Jonathan Petropolous) |
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*[http://www.pcha.gov/ "Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States"] |
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*[ http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-22.html "National Archives Announces Discovery of "Hitler Albums" Documenting Looted Art" |
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==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
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*Schwarz, Birgit: Hitler's Museum. Die Fotoalben Gemäldegalerie Linz, Wien, Böhlau Verlag, 2004. ISBN 3-205-77054-4. |
*Schwarz, Birgit: Hitler's Museum. Die Fotoalben Gemäldegalerie Linz, Wien, Böhlau Verlag, 2004. ISBN 3-205-77054-4. |
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* Löhr, Hanns Christian, "The Brown House of Art." |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{coord missing|Austria}} |
{{coord missing|Austria}} |
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[[Category:Adolf Hitler]] |
[[Category:Adolf Hitler]] |
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[[Category:Planned museums]] |
[[Category:Planned museums]] |
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[[Category:Linz]] |
[[Category:Linz]] |
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{{art-display-stub}} |
Revision as of 03:23, 13 December 2008
The Führermuseum (English, Führer museum) was an unrealized museum complex planned by Adolf Hitler for the Austrian city of Linz to display the collection of art plundered or purchased by the Nazis throughout Europe during World War II.
The plans for the Linz complex designed by Albert Speer a included a monumental theatre, an opera house and an Adolf Hitler Hotel, all surrounded by huge boulevards and a parade ground. [1]. A library would house at least 250,000 books; the museum itself would have a colonnaded facade about 500 feet (150 meters) long, in a the design paralleling that of the great Haus für Deutsche Kunst already erected in Munich. It would stand on the site of the present Linz railroad station, which was to be moved four kilometers to the south. [2].
The complex was meant to rival or beat the Louvre or Smithsonian in scale.
From the Summer of 1939, a collection of art was being built up by Hans Posse, director of the Dresden picture gallery. [3]. In March 1943, Hermann Voss , an art historian from Weiesbanden took over this job, and Hitler appointed him as supervisor of Sonderauftrag Linz (Special Assignment Linz). [3] to purchase art for the Führermuseum, financed by sales of Hitler’s book Mein Kampf and stamps showing his portrait. [3] [4]. Gottfried Reiemer also worked on the project. In February, Voss and Reimer moved the paintings to the salt mines of Altaussee to protect them from increased bombing. [3] [2]. In total, at least 10,000 art objects were collected for the project. Some of the art collected included Vermeer’s "Portrait of the Artist in His Studio," to works by Breughel, Durer, Fragonard, Rembrandt, and Rubens. [2]. Detailed records of the collection were kept at Schloss Weesenstein, a 13th-century castle once home to the King of Saxony. [2]
There is some debate about whether art for the Führermuseum was stolen or purchased. Hanns Christian Löhr argues in "The Brown House of Art" that only a small portion of the collection – possibly 12 percent – came from seizures or expropriation.[4] Hermann Voss’ secretary argues that the collection only came from legal sources [3].
As the Allies approached Linz, the commandant of the Linz facility ordered the salt mines and artworks destroyed, but this order was not carried out. Most of the collection was recovered, but some was not. Some argue that stolen artwork is hanging in museums and collections around the world. [4]
After World War II, the American Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) made thirteen detailed reports on the Linz museum and the Nazi plundering of art. [5]. These reports were synthesised into four consolidated reports; the fourth of these was written by S. Lane Faison covering the Führermuseum. [5]. These reports focussed on returning art to rightful owners.
In Eastern Europe, Stalin charged Mikhail Khrapchenko with taking many of the Führermuseum artworks to stock Soviet art galleries [2]. Khrapchenko said "it would now be possible to turn Moscow’s Pushkin Museum into one of the world’s great museums, like the British Museum, the Louvre, or the Hermitage."
In 2009, The Linz Castle Museum will hold an exhibition about the Führermuseum. [1]
External links
- 2004 article from Die Welt (in German)
- OSS Report on Hitler's Museum (from Prof. Jonathan Petropolous)
- [ http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-22.html "National Archives Announces Discovery of "Hitler Albums" Documenting Looted Art"
Further reading
- Schwarz, Birgit: Hitler's Museum. Die Fotoalben Gemäldegalerie Linz, Wien, Böhlau Verlag, 2004. ISBN 3-205-77054-4.
- Löhr, Hanns Christian, "The Brown House of Art."
Notes
- ^ Bell, Bethany (3 November 2008), Hitler’s Austrian ‘culture capital’, retrieved 13 December 2008
- ^ a b c d e Hitler’s Museum, retrieved 13 December 2008
- ^ a b c d e Lohr, Hanns (20 November 2000), No Looted Art in Hitlers Museum in Linz, retrieved 13 December 2008
- ^ a b c DW Staff (24 August 2008), The Mystery of Hitler's Lost Art Collection, Deutsche Welle, retrieved 13 December 2008
- ^ a b Petropolous, Prof. Jonathan, Linz: Hitler's Museum and Library: Consolidated Interrogation Report No. 4, 15 December 1945, The Reports of the Office of Strategic Services Art Looting Investigation Unit, retrieved 13 December 2008