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Life Stories

They were devotees and patrons of art and literature, established collections and libraries, or perhaps simply found joy in having a beautiful painting in their living room. Then they were stigmatized, dispossessed, and persecuted by the National Socialists. Many were murdered; the intention was to erase the memory of these people and their achievements forever.

Many Jewish citizens had dedicated themselves to art, culture, and society as patrons, collectors, or artists; as art dealers, buyers, friends, donors, or philanthropists. Today there is scant awareness of the immeasurable contribution they made to their country. We want to restore the memory of their forgotten lives and families.

  • Photo Behrens
    Work of art from the Behrens collection

    George Behrens

    In the hell of Saint-Cyprien

    Exploited, expelled, deported

    Exploited, expelled, deported

  • Photo Berolzheimer
    Artwork from the Berolzheimer collection

    Michael Berolzheimer

    In the salon of Untergrainau

    Threatened, excluded, cancelled

    Threatened, excluded, cancelled

  • Photo Biermann
    Artwork from the Biermann collection

    Aenne Biermann

    The Photographer

    Robbed, persecuted, expelled

    Robbed, persecuted, expelled

  • Photo block
    Artwork from the Block collection

    Josef Block

    Co-founder of the Secession

    Excluded, robbed, ghettoised

    Excluded, robbed, ghettoised

  • Photo Buchthal
    Artwork from the Buchthal collection

    Thea and Eugen Buchthal

    Expressionism in Berlin's Westend

    Persecuted, expelled, annihilated

    Persecuted, expelled, annihilated

  • Photo Davidsohn
    Artwork from the Davidsohn collection

    Julius and Semaya Franziska Davidsohn

    Premeditated Art Theft

    Robbed, deported, murdered

    Robbed, deported, murdered

  • Photo Dorville
    Artwork from the Dorville collection

    Armand Dorville

    Impressionist Art in a Paris Town House.

    Expulsion, compulsory administration, theft

    Expulsion, compulsory administration, theft

  • Photo Flersheim
    Work of art from the von Flersheim collection

    The Flersheim Family

    Now sit still, Jakob Nussbaum is coming!

    Fled, deported, murdered

    Fled, deported, murdered

  • Photo Friedmann
    Artwork from the Friedmann collection

    Selma and Ludwig Friedmann

    Driven to suicide

    Ostracised, humiliated, disenfranchised

    Ostracised, humiliated, disenfranchised

  • Photo Glanville
    Artwork from the Glanville collection

    Elisabeth Glanville

    A Family Icon

    Expelled, looted, rejected

    Expelled, looted, rejected

  • Photo Glaser
    Artwork from the Glaser collection

    Curt Glaser

    At the centre of Berlin's intellectual life

    Deposed, slandered, expelled

    Deposed, slandered, expelled

  • Photo Goldschmidt
    Work of art from the Goldschmidt collection

    Jakob Goldschmidt

    The art-loving head of the bank

    Hounded, slandered, plundered

    Hounded, slandered, plundered

  • Photo Guttsmann
    Artwork from the Guttsmann collection

    Friedrich Guttsmann

    The worry-free manufacturer

    Deprived of work, home, and rights

    Deprived of work, home, and rights

  • Photo Hess
    Artwork from the Hess collection

    Alfred, Tekla and Hans Hess

    A Firework of the Avant-garde

    Reviled, persecuted, driven out

    Reviled, persecuted, driven out

  • Photo Heumann
    Work of art from the Heumann collection

    Carl Heumann

    An Optimistic Consul and his Nazarenes

    Disenfranchised, Marginalized, Isolated

    Disenfranchised, Marginalized, Isolated

  • Photo Kien
    Artwork from the Kien collection

    Julius Kien

    Escape to Australia

  • Photo Liebmann Mayer
    Artwork from the Liebmann Mayer collection

    August Liebmann Mayer

    In Love with Toledo

    Robbed, persecuted, murdered

    Robbed, persecuted, murdered

  • Photo Mosse
    Artwork from the Mosse collection

    Rudolf Mosse

    The Press Baron Invites Visitors to his “Mosseum”

    Aryanized, expropriated, expelled

    Aryanized, expropriated, expelled

  • Photo Rosenthal
    Work of art from the Rosenthal collection

    Jacques Rosenthal

    The cosmopolitan antiquarian

    Disenfranchised, repressed, ruined

    Disenfranchised, repressed, ruined

  • Photo Schmidl
    Artwork from the Schmidl collection

    Marianne Schmidl

    A Fascination for Africa

    Rejected, extorted, murdered

    Rejected, extorted, murdered

  • Photo star
    Artwork from the Stern collection

    Max Stern

    Supporter of Canadian art

    Ostracised, disenfranchised, robbed

    Ostracised, disenfranchised, robbed

  • Photo by Bleichröder
    Work of art from the von Bleichröder collection

    James von Bleichröder

    An Eccentric from an Esteemed Family

    robbed, persecuted, destroyed

    robbed, persecuted, destroyed

  • Photo of Rothschild
    Work of art from the von Rothschild collection

    Alphonse von Rothschild

    A legendary art collection

    Persecuted, plundered, exploited

    Persecuted, plundered, exploited

  • Photo Waldes
    Work of art from the Waldes collection

    Sigmund Waldes

    Art and buttons

    Robbed, persecuted, expelled

    Robbed, persecuted, expelled