Title
Martin
von Wagner Museum der Universität Würzburg, (Martin von Wagner Museum at the
University of Würzburg)
Research into Nazi-confiscated works of art
in the museum's collection
The museum has no information on
Nazi-confiscated works of art in its collections. The only documentation that exists
relates to a number of drawings the museum legally purchased in Paris during
the Second World War and which were claimed by the USA once the war had ended.
Other than on these drawings, no research has been undertaken in the
collections so far.
The museum also holds works on loan from the Federal Government which may be of suspicious provenance. A painting by the artist Gaspar van Wittel (1653-1736), Der Quirinal in Rom (The Quirinale in Rome) is being claimed by Italy. All works are included in the catalogue of the museum's collection by Volker Hoffmann (1986).
Research into works of art missing from the
museum
Most of the museum's collection (including Greek
vases, paintings, sculpture and graphic collections) was placed in secure
storage during the war. All objects that remained in the museum were destroyed
in a bombing raid and the objects in storage were partly destroyed and/or looted
by US soldiers and the local rural population. Research to date has suggested
that items missing from the graphic collections include 10,000 sheets of Italian
prints, approximately 100 engravings by Rembrandt and a small collection of
Japanese colour woodcuts. Sculptures and 20 paintings are also missing. Among
the objects known to have been destroyed are 195 paintings, the coin collection
and most of the decorative arts collection. The museum is presently working on a
comprehensive list of all its war-related losses.
Contact
Information
Dr. Tilman Kossatz
Konservator der
Gemäldegalerie und der Graphischen Sammlung
Martin von Wagner Museum der
Universität Würzburg
Neuere Abteilung, Residenzplatz 2, Tor A
97070
Würzburg
Tel: +49 (0) 931 31 2283
Fax: +49 (0) 931 888 7073
Email: museum.na@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de
http://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/museum/
Source
Central Registry
Archives, Correspondence, 25 October 2002