Provenance research into the prints and drawings collections at the Augustinermuseum and the Museum für Neue Kunst

The graphics collections of the Augustinermuseum and the Museum für Neue Kunst, which had been located in two separate graphics departments since the 1990s, were brought together again under one roof in the newly built Haus der Graphischen Sammlung, which opened in fall 2016.

This prompted an investigation into the provenance of the stocks of pre-1945 prints and drawings that entered the museum between 1933 and the present day.

The 10,000 data records were checked, and those needing closer attention were singled out. A total of 189 data records were identified, subdivided into 116 data records for original prints and 73 data records for graphic reproductions. A data record may refer to a set comprising up to 155 works, or to just a single sheet. A wide range of graphic works was examined, spanning sketch books, portfolios, bundles from estates, book illustrations and high-quality original prints, even unmarked production prints.

Purchases were made exclusively by the Augustinermuseum until the Museum für Neue Kunst was founded in 1985. The Museum für Neue Kunst emerged from the Augustinermuseum and took over its collection of 20th century works. In the 1930s, most of the graphic works were acquired directly from artists or from the Christmas exhibitions held by the art association. The consignors were the exhibiting artists themselves. There were also many donations over these years. These objects received can be considered lawful.

However, purchases were also made from art dealers, galleries, and private individuals. The acquisition policy of the then director of the Augustinermuseum, Dr. Werner Noack, was largely focused on regional art. The purchases made during his term in office (1923 to 1953) were scrutinized more closely, with special attention paid to the personal circumstances of the people involved in the transactions.

From 1953 onward, graphic works were purchased by the subsequent museum director, Dr. Hermann Gombert (1953 to 1974), mainly from galleries and auction houses. These included Galerie Wolfgang Ketterer (Stuttgart/Munich), the Roman Norbert Ketterer auction house (Stuttgart), Galerie Vömel (Düsseldorf), Galerie Valentien (Stuttgart), Galerie Elfriede Wirnitzer (Baden-Baden) and Galerie Klihm (Munich). Both Roman Norbert Ketterer and Alex Vömel attracted attention after the war in connection with unlawfully seized cultural goods. Hans Hellmut Klihm and Fritz C. Valentien were directly involved in National Socialist art theft. Both are listed in the final report published by the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU), and are thus “red flag names”. This means they need to be scrutinized particularly closely.

In all cases, no inquiries were made about the previous owners or holders of the purchased prints.

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