HUMSS - Sabine Hake

The Forgotten Museum of Nazi Art

The Nazi campaign against “degenerate art” has been extensively documented in art historical scholarship.  But what about the official art produced during the Third Reich? Here taboos and clichés continue to dominate public debates. In my presentation, I discuss the artistic legacy of the Third Reich in the context of contemporary museum culture. Topics to be addressed include the confiscation of Nazi art after the war and the ongoing negotiations between the US and the Federal Republic, the competing approaches taken by national museums and individual collectors, and the broader political, cultural, and legal implications for the ongoing project of Vergangenheitsbewältigung, especially in light of recent scandals and discoveries.