Confiscated Art in Former Eastern Territories of Germany
Symposium of the "Degenerate Art" Research Center on March 15 and 16 to address confiscations and ostracism of modern art in the former German cities of Szczecin, Wroclaw, and Kaliningrad
№ 033/2018 from Feb 19, 2018
To mark the occasion of the expansion and re-launch of the database of works of art declared "degenerate" and then confiscated by the National Socialists, the "Degenerate Art" Research Center at Freie Universität Berlin is holding an international conference on March 15 and 16, 2018. Those attending will address the confiscations and ostracism of modern art in the former German cities of Szczecin (Stettin), Wroclaw (Breslau), and Kaliningrad (Königsberg). The presentations will deal with the state-controlled actions and their consequences. An important role at the conference will be played by the complete publication of all the works of art that were confiscated from public institutions and the expansion of the provenance section of the database. The conference will take place in English and German. It is public, and admission is free. To attend, please register by sending an email to fsek@campus.fu-berlin.de.
The "Degenerate Art" Research Center was set up at the beginning of 2003 at the Art History Department at Freie Universität Berlin. The research focuses on the methods of National Socialist art policy, in particular the prehistory, history, and effects of the seizure of modern works of art in German museums by the National Socialists in 1937. It includes research on anti-modern propaganda exhibitions since 1933 and the touring exhibition "Degenerate Art" from 1937 to 1941. Specific areas of research in this context are the destinies of the artists concerned, the strategies of the museum managers, and the role of art dealers within the state's system of selling these confiscated works of art outside Germany.
At the heart of the research is the work on a complete list of all the works of "degenerate art" seized from German museums in 1937. This inventory is stored as a database and is now available on the Internet to any interested user. It contains more than 21,000 data records.
Time and Location
- March 15/16, 2018
- Koserstraße 20, Lecture Hall B, "Degenerate Art" Research Center, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin
Contact
- Dr. Meike Hoffmann, Art History Department, Freie Universität Berlin, Tel.: +49 30 838 54523, Email: meikeh@zedat.fu-berlin.de
- Dr. h. c. Andreas Hüneke, Art History Department, Freie Universität Berlin, Tel.: +49 30 838 54523, Email: ahueneke@zedat.fu-berlin.de