With the appointment of Adolf Hitler to the office of Chancellor of the Reich on 30th January 1933, the National Socialists took over power in Germany. With this, among other things, the systematic deprivation of rights and persecution of the Jewish population began that was to end in the planned annihilation of millions of people.
Museums were forced into conformity with the state and subjected to political control. The artworks of artists regarded as ‘degenerate’ were removed from collections. At the same time, the museums profited from having works belonging to persecuted people transferred to them, or by obtaining purchases from occupied foreign territory.
To the present day, there are numerous works of art in public museums, archives and libraries, but also in private possession, that were illegally confiscated during the period of National Socialism.
