Collections Project Museum Folkwang,
entries 1933–1945 and 1946–1970
(paintings and sculptures)
01.10.2019–30.09.2020

From 1 December, 2016 onwards the paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings held by Museum Folkwang have been systematically examined and, using the colour scheme outlined earlier, categorized according to how urgently they need to be studied. So, for the first time a documented record has been established regarding the need to investigate works as regards the possibility of their having been confiscated by the Nazis.
The project has started on 1 October 2019 and addressed initially the fields of painting and sculpture. The examination funded by the German Lost Art Foundation marked the start of a systematic and integral examination of the museum’s holdings as regards possible Nazi confiscations; the findings will also be communicated to the public. Groups of objects that came into the possession of Museum Folkwang between 1933 and 1945 but also between 1946 and 1970 were subjected to a thorough inspection.

The investigations of 114 objects were divided into four phases:

Project phase 1: Examination of the objects and their rear side, documentation of all 114 objects

Project phase 2: Evaluation of sources and research in the museum’s own Archives

Project phase 3: In-depth research including travel

Project phase 4: Summary and final evaluation, report

Project Manager: Isabel Hufschmidt
Project collaborator: Anna Baumberger

A project supported by