Dimensions
165 x 240 x 37mm
Hitler and his cohorts carried out the most extensive looting campaign in history. But they could not have plundered without the co-operation of art experts. This book examines the museum directors, art dealers, critics, art historians, and artists who collaborated with the Nazi leaders and implemented their criminal policies. In order to explore the mindsets of these experts - to understand the specific pressures and ethical dilemmas - five key figures who represent their respective professions are studied in depth. Their pact with the Nazi leaders often began with joining the party and firing Jewish colleagues, yet their involvement gradually grew to include purging modern art from state collections and pressuring Jewish citizens to sell works well below market value. They organised the plundering commandos that ravaged the continent and stole millions of artworks. This book's central and deeply unsettling question is how did cultured, respected intellectuals turn into criminals? A secondary theme is the rehabilitation of their careers after the war.
