Retrieving Looted Polish Art During the Second World War

There is no excuse for anyone to forget these treasures of national heritage of which we were deprived between 1939 and 1945 mainly as a result of carefully-planned actions on the part of an occupying power fully aware of its objective and the means employed. The passage of time and obliteration of traces in no way blurs the fact that we have, not merely a right, but a moral obligation to past and future generations, to be. (Catalogue of Paintings Removed from Poland by the German Occupiers in the Years 1939-1945, published in two language versions: in Polish and in English by the Bureau for Revindication and Compensation, which functioned until 1951.)

 German art historians planned many of these thefts before the war, identifying valuable works and cataloging their locations so they could be carried away and taken to Germany, where Hitler planned to display them in his Führermuseum. Any heritage items located in the Soviet-occupied zone after the end of the War were taken as compensation for Soviet losses, either by way of spontaneous and uncontrolled seizure or through the systematic, professionally-organized activities of Red Army units comprising highly-qualified specialists uncovering secret caches and in valuing and safeguarding the spoils of war, including art collections. Many additional robberies were also carried out under the verbal command of Nazi and Soviet officials in the field, and these are largely unaccounted for.

Poland has faced economic and cultural destruction more than once in its history. In the 17th Century, Poland lost approximately one-third of its population, as well as its status as a great power. Historians estimate that the 1655-1660 Swedish invasion of Poland, known as the Deluge, caused more extensive damage to the country than the Second World War. According to estimates made in 2012, Poland's financial losses amounted to over $1 billion in today's money. The Swedish Army plundered vast quantities of Poland's riches, most of which were never returned, and completely destroyed 188 cities and towns, 81 castles, and 136 churches.

The current market value of works of art stolen from Poland in 1939-1945 is estimated at $30 billion. But so far, the percentage of artworks that have been recovered is very small in comparison to the number of pieces for which Poland is still searching. The loss of cultural property that expresses the ideas and history of the nation, is a sad and painful occurrence, involving not only the physical loss of cultural objects but also a loss of historical continuity and shared cultural experiences.

The restitution of cultural property stolen during the Second World War is a very important element of the policy pursued by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Polish government maintains a database cataloging war losses, which currently lists more than 63,000 objects. The Ministries monitor international art markets, and often receives valuable tips about looted artworks from museum workers, conservators, collectors and enthusiasts who have come across looted art. The Ministry of Culture has led efforts to return 31 objects from Russia, Germany, the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom in recent years, and as a result, 30 have been returned to Poland. Currently they are conducting 56 restitution procedures in eight countries, trying to return to Polish museums the works of the Polish artists Jan Matejko, Stanislaw Wyspianski, Jacek Malczewski, Aleskander Gierymski, Wojciech Gerson, Józef Pankiewicz, and Olga Boznanska as well as Rafael's famous Portrait of a Young Man and masterpieces by Brueghl, van Dyck, Cranach, Rubens, Picasso and others. In the last four years, 14 objects discovered abroad in different circumstances have been returned to Poland, inculding Oranges by Aleksander Gierymski, Black Woman by Anna Bilinska-Bohdanowiczow, Chats by Joseph Brandt and Julian Falat's works Before the Hunt in Rytwiany and Naganka hunting in Nesvizh. Poland is just as determined to find modest works worth thousands of dollars as it is masterpieces valued in the millions, and this approach is producing tangible results.


Polish museums will probably never look like they did before the war again, but progress is being made and the country has recovered many valuable objects. Directories of war losses are sent to museums, the worlds largest auction houses, Polish diplomatic and consular institutions and research organizations. A database of information is progressively being made available on the website of the Ministry of Culture and Foreign Affairs and is being published in a series of books as well. But the recovery of most works so far was made possible by tips offered by museum curators, collectors and individual enthusiasts, so if you suspect that you have information about looted art, your help is very valuable. A list of the most sought-after works of art, as well as other information, is available at The Division for Looted Art. Significant gaps in the history of an antique should ring alarm bells, especially if it's unclear where the piece was or who it belonged to during the Second World War. Frequently, you can also find ownership markings and identification numbers on the back. If you know of an artwork that you suspect may be looted art, you should contact the Division for Looted Art at the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The specialist staff there will be able to determine whether a given artwork is looted art or not.



Catalogue of Polish Paintings
Catalogue of Foreign Paintings
New York Times article
The Economist article

www.polishculture-nyc.org