Recording of approx. 1,200 auction catalogs in Cologne University’s Department of Art History

In this six-month research project, the aim was to digitally record and document approx. 1,200 auction catalogs from the period 1933–1945 kept in the holdings of Cologne University’s Department of Art History, General Art History department. Special consideration was given to the handwritten notes (annotations) contained in the catalogs, including those by the Cologne art dealer Dr. Eduard Plietzsch.

The auction catalogs had been stored in a damp cellar until shortly before the start of the research project and were at great risk of being damaged by mold. In the course of the planned renovation and clearing out of the space, it became possible for the catalogs from the period 1933–1945 to be picked out and put into storage in the library for future analysis. The scientific examination of the selected section of the stock was designed to pursue questions relevant for provenance research. There was a need to clarify where this stock came from and what additional information could be made accessible for research through the annotations.

A total of 1,098 selected catalogs from the period 1933–1945 in the Department of Art History at the University of Cologne were recorded with the aid of IT resources. Since then, it has been possible to search them online using Cologne University’s complete online catalog (KUG). Information on annotations, valuation lists and results lists can be retrieved using a keyword. Some of the auction catalogs come from the library holdings of the art historian and art dealer Dr. Eduard Plietzsch (1886–1961), Berlin, Amsterdam/The Hague, Cologne. The handwritten comments in them were mostly written by Plietzsch, who was significantly involved in trading Nazi-confiscated cultural goods during the Nazi era and visited all the important auctions himself. The annotations predominantly relate to valuable paintings and outstanding art objects and provide important additional information on the identification and origin of the works. Of the 1,098 catalogs from the period 1933–1945, 370 catalogs have handwritten annotations (e.g. details of prices achieved, owners, buyers and reports as well as details on art history evaluations). Valuation lists on masterpieces offered are contained in 188 catalogs. A further 101 catalogs have results lists from the auctions. 39 auction catalogs had annotations and a results list. A further 69 catalogs were annotated and also have a valuation list. This stock of auction catalogs from 1933–1945 therefore offers many additional details and represents an important source of information for scientific research and provenance research in particular.

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