| Registry Number: ACA 132/251. Report by Edward Croft-Murray, M F A & A Officer Land Steiermark, on the present condition of Monuments, Museums, Galleries and Libraries of Vienna, dated 8 April 1946. The survey took place between 7 and 26 March 1946. 'The report does not pretend to include all buildings and institutions of this kind, but comprises those mentioned on the Official List of Protected Monuments and Archives, Vienna, with some additions. Archives have not been reported on, as these will be the subject of a separate survey.' The Report is divided into the following sections: A] Introduction B] Eccesiastical buildings, C] Palaces and other secular buildings, D] Fountains, statues, E] Museums, Galleries F] Libraries and G] Private Collections. Under Section E, the Report states that 'institutes of secondary importance have fared less well' than the more important collections such as the Public Collection of Vienna, the Kunsthistorisches Museum. 'Their deposits were almost all in castles in Nieder-Oesterreich, which first suffered from the tide of battle, and, subsequently from plundering on the part of civilians and occupation by Russian troops. Lack of communications and transport has prevented the Austrian Officials concerned from keeping proper control over the places, with the result that much of the material has either disappeared, or has undergone severe damage'. Museums which have suffered the most, are the Historisches Museum, the Oesterreichisches Museum fuer Kunst und Industrie and the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum. 'In some sporadic cases, military transport has been provided by the Russians to return material to Vienna, but it is felt that a closer collaboration with the Russian Element of ACA might lead to more organised help being afforded to these Institutions, and prevent further damage to their Collections'. Records that three pictures were stolen from the Akademie der Bildenen Kuenste collection in the Heiligenkreuz deposit - 'an oil sketch of the 'Judgement of Paris' by Van Dyck, and two XVIIth century Dutch still-life subjects' [no further details provided], all three thought to have been taken by SS men. Section G lists collections 'that were Jewish-owned, and therefore subjected to confiscation by the State under the Nazi regime. Their contents were, at some time early in the war, exhibited for the benefit of representatives of the various State Museums, who were invited to make a choice of what objects they wished to acquire for their respective institutions. Presumably highly-placed members of the Nazi Party also had their parts of these collections'. Several of these collections 'have already been traced, notably a large group of works of art from the Rothschild Collections in depositories at Aussee, Waidhofen and in the Joanneum at Graz. In the Joanneum, too, several other collections, notably Bondy, Eisler and Guttmann, are represented'. Details of the private collections are furnished by Graf D Karl von Wilczek, Herrengasse 4 in Vienna, 'a well known amateur art-historian, who, together with Graf F Dr v Trautmannsdorf is looking after the interests of the Rothschild brothers and their Collection'. The List then provideds details of several private collections, including names and addresses of persons who might be able to provide further information on each individual case. It mentions the collection of Dr Bloch-Bauer, who owned paintings by Waldmueller, watercolours by R V Alt and old Viennese porcelain, which were 'probably confiscated under the Nazi regime'. Further refers to the collection of Ernst Boehm, which includes 'works of art of general interest' and the collection of Oskar Bondy containing 'pictures and other works of art of general interest' confiscated under the Nazi regime and divided amongst various Austrian state museums and galleries. States that Bondy died in New York in 1945. The List includes reference to the collection of the Czernin Galerie, a collection comprising pictures by Old Masters, formerly including the famous 'The Artist in his Studio' by Johannes Vermeer which 'is now on exhibition at the Hofburg'. Further refers to the collection of Dr H Ebner [no further information on this collection is provided]. Also on the List is the collection of Dr Hermann Eisler, with works by El Greco and the French Impressionists, and other works of art of general interest. States that 'part of the collection was deposited on loan by the owner at the Neue Galerie of the Joanneum, Graz. Whereabouts of the remainder of collection not known but may have been taken out of Austria before 1938'. Further refers to the collection of Baron von Guttman, containing 'works of art of general interest', part of which was confiscated under the Nazi regime. States that 'some material is said to have been sold, and some taken out of Austria by the owner, who is now living in Canada and is thought to have become a Canadian subject'. Also refers to the Harrach Galerie, known for its fine examples of the work of Solimena and other Masters of the Neapolitan School. No reference to any stolen objects from this collection. Further refers to the Lanckoronsky Galerie, which contained an 'important collection of picture by Old and Modern Masters', stating that 'some miniatures were sent by Lanckoronsky to Poland where they may have been confiscated by the Government'. Part of August Lederer's collection of paintings by early Flemish and Italian Masters, and works by the Austrian XIXth century painter Klimt were 'thought to have been in part sequestrated under the Nazi regime, but some pictures may have been taken to Hungary, as the owner was of Hungarian origin'. Further refers to the collections of Baron Alphonse de Rothschild and Baron Louis de Rothschild, 'well known and very rich Collections of Pictures and other Works of Art of general interest', stating that the 'Collections were confiscated under the Nazi regime, according to Graf Wilczek', and 'the three Rothschild brothers' had been 'handing over the collections of Alphonse and Louis to the German Reich' in 1939. 'At this time Louis had been imprisoned by the Gestapo for a year, and he and his brother signed the document in order to liberate him'. The Report continues that 'part of the collection is now in deposit at Alt Aussee and Waidhofen, and possibly elsewhere; the remainder is distributed amongst various provincial Austrian State Museums, including the Joanneum, Graz'. The Report concludes that Graf Trautmannsdorf has sent a circular through the agent Herr Mayer to all Museums in Austria requiring a list of Rothschild property in their possession [circular and list not included]. |
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