Research at the Kunsthalle Mannheim from 2011 to 2018
Provenance research is devoted to the origin of works of art and their ownership (provenance). Especially during the Nazi era, this cannot always be clarified beyond doubt. From November 2011 to July 2018, the Kunsthalle therefore systematically researched the provenance of all the paintings, sculptures and graphic works created before 1945 in its holdings, aiming to identify possible Nazi-looted art. In a first step, the provenance of 667 paintings and sculptures was investigated. Of these, ultimately 17 works of art were suspected of being looted. Subsequently, the Collection of Prints and Drawings was also examined. Here, 25 sheets were classified as suspicious and the etching "Der Trinker" (The Drinker) by Wilhelm Leibl was clearly identified as Nazi-looted art.
All possibly incriminated works as well as the Leibl graphic were reported to the Lost Art database. All known facts about the works can be viewed there.
In (RE-)DISCOVERY - THE KUNSTHALLE 1933 TO 1945 AND THE CONSEQUENCES, the Kunsthalle worked through its own history during National Socialism. The permanent exhibition illustrated the effects of the National Socialist era on the Kunsthalle, its collection and the people associated with the museum even to the present day. One focus was on over 500 works permanently lost by the museum in 1937, during the confiscation of "degenerate art". The exhibition also drew attention to the propaganda exhibition "Kulturbolschewistische Bilder" (Cultural Bolshevik Paintings), which was shown in Mannheim in 1933 and marked the onset of the National Socialist smear campaign against the modern avant-garde. The exhibition catalogue is available in Kunsthalle Mannheim’s museum shop. In addition, the exhibition can be explored in a digital tour.
