A collection of degenerate Bolshevist art, as well as a collection of degenerate Western art, was also made for political study purposes. In addition, a rich collection of material concerning Soviet architecture was made.
25 portfolios of pictures with the most valuable works of the art collections seized in the West were presented to the Fuehrer on 20 April 1943, together with three volumes of a provisional catalog of paintings and an interim progress report. Additional portfolios of pictures are in preparation.
Robert SCHOLZ
Bereichsleiter
Chief of the Special Staff for Pictorial Art
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1015-I-PS
The Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich
Berlin W8, 30 May 1942
Leipziger Str. 3
Dear Party member Rosenberg:
Your Einsatzstab for the seizure of cultural goods in Paris, I believe, has been wrongly reported to you as if it were dealing in works of art itself. I know the task of the Einsatzstab very well and must assert that there is no agency to which I am able to express such unrestricted praise for its continued work and readiness as to this agency proper with all its collaborators. Presumably I have given cause for the reputation of dealing in works of art because I have asked some especially experienced gentlemen if anywhere during their stay in Paris or France they should hear of any pictures or other art objects to be sold by art dealers or private individuals to look at those objects and to inform me if there should be anything of interest for me. Since the latter was often the case, I have then again asked the gentlemen to do me the favor to acquire the objects for me for which purpose I have kept a depot ready for them. If thus some gentlemen got very busy to make contacts with art dealers it was exclusively a personal favor which was done for me for the benefit of building up my collection. Since very many prospective buyers endeavor to seize art objects in the occupied territory, I can well imagine that perhaps out of ignorance of the circumstances, but perhaps also out of envy they have caused the gentlemen of your Einsatzstab to be suspected wrongly.
I feel it my duty to give you this information and to ask you that it may remain this way. On the other hand I also support personally the work of your Einsatzstab wherever I can do so, and a great part of the seized cultural goods can be accounted for because I was able to assist the Einsatzstab by my organization.
With best regards and Heil Hitler!
Yours
Signed: Hermann Goering
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1015-GG-PS
| Statement of art objects counted and inventoried | ||
| I. Paintings | ||
| Oil paintings | 3,027 | |
| Water-colors | 766 | |
| Drawings | 1,332 | |
| Pastels | 156 | |
| Engravings 1 | 4,525 | |
| Miniatures—portraits | 442 | |
| Miniatures—parchments—initial letters | 51 | |
| Persian miniatures | 49 | |
| Glass paintings | 19 | |
| Porcelain—enamels—paintings | 455 | |
| Books and manuscripts | 55 | |
| Reproductions | 13 | |
| ——— | ||
| 10,890 | ||
| II. Plastics | ||
| Bronze and other metals including statuettes | 129 | |
| Marble and other stones | 110 | |
| Wood | 65 | |
| Terra-cotta, clay and porcelain | 74 | |
| Reliefs | 52 | |
| Medallions and plaques | 121 | |
| Ivory | 3 | |
| Wax | 3 | |
| Plaster | 26 | |
| ——— | ||
| 583 | ||
| III. Furniture | ||
| Chests of drawers | 241 | |
| Clothes-presses | 33 | |
| Writing tables | 86 | |
| Secretaries | 69 | |
| Sewing tables | 11 | |
| Tables | 255 | |
| Sideboards | 5 | |
| Kitchen tables | 26 | |
| Cupboards | 155 | |
| Chairs and sofas | 979 | |
| Clocks of various types | 115 | |
| Chandeliers, etc. | 277 | |
| Miscellaneous | 143 | |
| Mirrors | 21 | |
| Consoles | 61 | |
| ——— | ||
| 2,477 | ||
| IV. Textiles | ||
| Gobelins | 66 | |
| Carpets | 291 | |
| Cloths | 104 | |
| Coptic cloths | 36 | |
| Embroidery, weavings (Including fragments) | 86 | |
| ——— | ||
| 583 | ||
| V. Hand-made art objects | ||
| Porcelain (cups, plates, vases) | 335 | |
| Ceramics (cups, bowls) | 252 | |
| Faeence, Majolika | 324 | |
| Glass | 140 | |
| Porcelain figures | 92 | |
| Bronze and other metals | 371 | |
| Objects of rare metals | 189 | |
| Articles of daily use | 308 | |
| Jewelry | 243 | |
| Coins | 844 | |
| Weapons | 206 | |
| Orientalia and exotica | 388 | |
| Objects of rare gems | 74 | |
| Other art works 2) | 2,059 | |
| —— | ||
| 5,825 | ||
| VI. East-Asiatic | ||
| Plastics | 48 | |
| Bronzes to 1500 and later | 26 | |
| Porcelains and stone-ware before 1644 | 472 | |
| Porcelains and stone-ware after 1644 | 101 | |
| Clay-ware | 19 | |
| Semi-precious gems and ivories | 92 | |
| Netsuka (Japanese art objects) | 68 | |
| Paintings | 72 | |
| Wood-carvings | 183 | |
| Lacquers | 27 | |
| Folding screens | 6 | |
| Weapons | 31 | |
| Miscellaneous | 141 | |
| ——— | ||
| 1,286 | ||
| VII. Antiquities | ||
| A. Greek | ||
| Sculptures, including reliefs | 3 | |
| Bronzes, including statuettes | 6 | |
| Terra-cottas and other clays | 14 | |
| Vases, bowls, pitchers | 6 | |
| Jewelry, about | 40 | |
| Miscellaneous | 6 | |
| B. Roman | ||
| Sculptures, including portraits | 15 | |
| Bronzes, including statuettes | 19 | |
| Clay | 1 | |
| Jewelry, about | 83 | |
| Miscellaneous | 15 | |
| C. Egyptian | ||
| Sculptures, including reliefs | 20 | |
| Bronzes, including statuettes | 11 | |
| Cut stones | 5 | |
| Miscellaneous | 10 | |
| D. Asia-Minor | ||
| Reliefs | 1 | |
| Clay | 1 | |
| Cut stones | 3 | |
| ——— | ||
| 259 | ||
| Total | 21,903 | |