Catalogue description Copy of a confidential letter from Friedrich Wolf in Moscow to M Zweig in Haifa,...

Ordering and viewing options

  • £3.50 - sign in to get this free

  • Download format PDF
  • Approximate size 2 MB

Order up to 10 items per basket, and up to 100 in a 30 day period.

Details of FO 371/36363/10
Reference: FO 371/36363/10
Description:
Copy of a confidential letter from Friedrich Wolf in Moscow to M Zweig in Haifa, providing details of German looting of Russian art treasures, sent on by the Information and Records Branch [Postal and Telegraph Censorship], dated 18 December 1942. Wolff reports that equipment was requisitioned from the Palacemuseum of Empress Catherine in Tsarskoyeselo near Leningrad where 'Chinese silk tapestries and gilded ornaments were torn from walls. From palace of Emperor Alexander antique furniture and his large library of bibliographical rarities were removed. From Kiev museums of Ukrainian art, Russian art, western and eastern art, many works by Russian and Ukrainian painters and sculptors, were shipped off to Berlin. In Korlenko library Kharkov several thousands valuable books in deluxe editions were selected and brought to Berlin. Rest books were burned. From Kharkov artgallery several hundred paintings were offshipped. German soldiers appropriated for themselves embroideries, rugs, tapestries and other exhibits'. Citing a report by Dr Foerster, Obersturmfuehrer of Special Services Waffen SS and Special Agent to Foreign Minister Ribbentrop, Wolff continues 'Obersturmfuehrer goes on [to] say in his statement 'Eye [sic, I] also know that at Alfred Rosenberg headquarters special squads been formed to requisition valuable antique museum exhibits'. The letter states that Goering and Rosenberg are 'fond of' ornamental antique furniture, and that these objects probably could be found in Goering's castle at Karinhall and in Alfred Rosenberg's estates'.
Date: 1942 December 18 - 1943 January 05
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

To download this record without a watermark, please add it to your basket.

Subject image
Image   of {{thumbImages.length}}
Loading image ...

The above image viewer has been changed to allow users to preview our digital downloads before purchase. How would you rate this image viewer?

Please do not include personal contact details.

Have you found an error with this catalogue description?

Help with your research