080023 VO Nazi Art Policy and Art Theft (2022S)

During the period of National Socialism (Germany: 1933-1945, Austria 1938-1945), an enormous amount of artworks and cultural property was transferred in Europe; a large part of it changed hands due to persecution, be it through state seizure or forced sale. An important task of art historians and historians is to investigate the origin of works of art that changed hands during the relevant period, i.e. to conduct provenance research.

The aim of the lecture will be to lay the historical foundations for this, namely to present the National Socialist art theft systematically and comprehensively, namely in its ideological as well as cultural and museum-historical contexts and with special consideration of the role played by Austria as the "Ostmark" of the Greater German Reich. The topic is placed in the context of the general art policy of National Socialism, which, starting with the "Degenerate Art" campaign, aimed at a comprehensive restructuring of the European museum landscape.