Recommendation

In a letter dated 25 May 2016, as supplemented on 11 October 2018, the Minister of Education, Culture and Science (hereinafter referred to as the Minister) asked the Restitutions Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) for advice about the application for the restitution of items of Meissen porcelain from the Dutch National Art Collection. The original restitution application was submitted to the Minister in a letter of 25 June 2015 by XX (hereinafter referred to as the Applicant) in his capacity as executor of the estate of Dr Franz Oppenheimer. The Applicant is represented by Lothar Fremy, Rechtsanwalt of Berlin, Germany. In this case the Minister is having herself represented by the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency.

The Claimed Objects

As an enclosure to his letter to the Minister of 29 February 2016 the Applicant sent an Excel spreadsheet he had prepared (hereinafter also referred to as the claims schedule) listing 109 object groups, that is to say artworks consisting of several separate items. The Minister asked the Committee for advice about the application for the restitution of these object groups. In a letter of 11 October 2018 the Minister supplemented her request for advice with one object. These object groups are described in the appendix to the overview of the facts.
In an email of 1 July 2019 the Minister stated that two object groups in the claims schedule cannot be linked to an object in the Dutch National Art Collection. These are the object groups in the appendix to the overview of the facts under D 1 and D 2. The Committee may only advise the Minister in regard to objects in the Dutch National Art Collection and therefore in this case its advice does not relate to the aforementioned object groups D 1 and D 2. The object group in the claims schedule and listed in the appendix as D 3 is the same object group as listed in the appendix as A-87.
The remaining 107 Meissen porcelain object groups are listed in the appendix to this advice. All 107 object groups are part of the Dutch National Art Collection. Of these, 90 object groups are on loan to the Rijksmuseum. The other seventeen object groups are part of the Netherlands Art Property Collection (hereinafter also referred to as the NK collection) and are on loan to the Kunstmuseum Den Haag (thirteen object groups) and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (four object groups).  

Considerations

1. The Committee established the relevant facts on the grounds of the overview of the facts of 8 April 2019 and the responses to it that the Committee received. The following summary is sufficient here.
   Dr Franz Oppenheimer
   
2. Franz Oppenheimer was born in Hamburg on 1 August 1871. On 27 March 1902 he married Margarethe Knapp, who was born in Vienna on 8 August 1878. The couple had two children, Marie Luise and Franz Karl, and lived in Berlin. Oppenheimer was a partner in the firm Emanuel Friedlaender et Comp. He also held various non-executive directorships and other posts in the coal industry.
   Art collection
3. The Oppenheimers built up an important collection of eighteenth-century Meissen porcelain, with a particular focus on chinoiserie. In 1927 Professor Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld, curator of the Berliner Schlossmuseum, compiled a private catalogue of the Oppenheimers’ collection. When Schnorr von Carolsfeld documented the collection it contained 240 object groups, that is to say artworks consisting of several separate items. The objects in Schnorr von Carolsfeld’s 1927 inventory were given inventory numbers beginning with the letter ‘O’ followed by a number in the series between 1 and 239. The objects themselves were marked in black ink with the serial number without the letter.
4. In 2000 the ceramics expert Abraham den Blaauwen (1923-2015) published his book Meissen Porcelain in the Rijksmuseum. He wrote the following about the Oppenheimer Collection.
   ‘The Oppenheimer collection had been catalogued in 1927 by Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld, the director of the Schlossmuseum. The narrative part was printed as a private edition, the two volumes of illustrations as albums with photographs stuck in them. The numbers in this catalogue are marked on the pieces in black paint, the pieces acquired after 1927 are numbered in red.’ 
   In his publication Den Blaauwen gave the Oppenheimer number and its colour by each object.
5. After 1927 the couple continued to acquire art and added at least 126 object groups to the collection. The object groups that were purchased after the 1927 inventory were given an inventory number beginning with the letters ‘Os’ followed by numbers in the series between 212 and 332. The objects themselves were marked in red ink with the serial number without the letters.
   Flight from Germany
6. Franz Oppenheimer and his wife decided in around December 1936 to flee Germany as a result of the pressure exerted by Nazi persecution because of their Jewish descent. Before they were able to leave they were compelled to pay a substantial sum in Reichsfluchtsteuer (Reich Capital Flight Tax). This measure applied to everyone who wanted to emigrate, but in practice if affected primarily Jews. The lawyer Hans Rehmke wrote the following in a letter dated 16 May 1938 to the SS Oberabschnitt Vienna.‘ Dr. Franz Oppenheimer, früher Berlin, ist in Dezember 1936 aus dem Altreich ausgewandert und zwar sind alle im Zusammenhange mit einer Auswanderung vorzunehmenden Formalitäten, wie Zahlung der Reichsfluchtsteuer usw., von ihm ordnungsgemäss erledigt worden.’
7. Oppenheimer took some of his possessions, including part of his porcelain collection, with him to Austria. On the same day, the aforementioned Rehmke notified the Zentralstelle für Denkmalschutz that, in connection with his escape from Germany, Oppenheimer also had goods shipped from Germany that were not taken to Austria.
   ‘Dr. Oppenheimer hat im Jahre 1937 vorübergehend in Wien eine Wohnung begründet, wo er einen Teil seiner Porzellansammlung und kostbaren Möbel untergebracht hat, während der andere Teil ebenfalls aus Deutschland ausgeführt, aber [nicht] nach Oesterreich verbracht ist. Die in Oesterreich verbliebenen Sachen sind wegen des für Oesterreich bestehende Ausfuhrverbotes an Kunstgegenständen seinerzeit bei der Zentralstelle für Denkmalschutz angemeldet und auch sonst sind alle für eine freie Wiederausfuhr der fraglichen Objekte aus Oesterreich notwendigen Formalitäten seinerzeit von Dr. Oppenheimer erfüllt worden. Die Sachen sind seinerzeit nicht unter den österr. Denkmalschutz gebracht. Diese Stelle ist vielmehr mit der Angelegenheit nur deswegen befasst worden, um dem Dr. Oppenheimer die Wiederausfuhr ohne besondere Genehmigung zu ermöglichen.’It can be deduced from the letter that Oppenheimer put some of his porcelain collection in his residence in Austria and that re-export was taken into account as part of the formalities. Another part of his collection was supposedly exported from Germany, but not transported to Austria.
8. Oppenheimer had a part of his collection sealed and stored at the Austrian customs. The file on Franz Oppenheimer in the Bundesdenkmalamt (Austrian Federal Monuments Office) contains various lists concerning objects possessed by Oppenheimer. One of these lists in entitled as follows.
   Eingeführt durch Dr. Franz Oppenheimer und seine Ehefrau, geb. Knapp im April 1937 und im September 1937 aus dem Zollverschluss entnommen.The items on this list (hereinafter also referred to as the customs list) include five oil paintings, six lots of silver, 10 tapestries, some furniture and a limited quantity of porcelain, including 34 figurines.III. Porzellan:
   1). 2 Aschenbecher / Blattform / gold.Chinesen
   2). 2 Zuckerdosen                        “          “
   3.) 2 Becher                                             “          “
   4.) 1 kleine Bouillon mit Untersatz          “          “
   5.) Chocoladetasse mit Untertasse “       “
   6.) Koppchen mit Untertasse       “          “
   7.) 4 kleine Vasen / Drachenmuster / gez. K.H.C.
   8.) 2 kleine Flacons / desgleichen /
   9.) ein Chinese mit Affen
   10.) 1 sitzende Pagode
   11.) 34 Räucherchinesen verschiedener Grösse, d.s. sämtliche Exemplare der Sammlung
   12). Kasten Enthaltend:
   1 Kleine Teekanne, 1 Wassernapf, 6 henkellose Tassen mit Unterschalen, bunte Chinoiserien, Goldfonds, dazu diverse Servicestücke aus Vermeil.
   13.) Kasten enthaltend:
   1 Kaffeekanne, 1 Teekanne, 1 Teedose, 1 Zuckerdose, 1 Wassernapf, 6 henkellose Tassen mit Unterschalen, bunte Chinoiserien, Wappen der Dogen Morosini von Venedig.
9. Oppenheimer registered those of his possessions that were in Austria with the Zentralstelle für Denkmalschutz. Apparently Oppenheimer made various photographs available to this body for that purpose because on 18 October 1937 Oppenheimer asked Dr Seiberl of the Zentralstelle für Denkmalschutz to return the photographs of his porcelain that he had been lent. ‘Es kommt nämlich Mitte dieser Woche ein Freund zu mir, dem ich diese Bilder gerne zeigen möchte’.
   Flight from Austria
10. German troops entered Austria on 12 March 1938 and Adolf Hitler proclaimed the Anschluss (annexation) of Austria into Germany the following day. Just before this, on 11 March 1938, Oppenheimer left his residence in Vienna, which was seized shortly thereafter by the Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service). The Oppenheimers were able to escape to the United States via Budapest and Stockholm. They were once again obliged to pay substantial sums in Reich Capital Flight Tax. Their possessions in Austria, including the artworks that were still present, were then confiscated.The Austrian Nazi authorities did not know, however, exactly what happened to a part of the Oppenheimer Collection after their departure from Vienna. On 3 June 1939 it was reported that objects from the Oppenheimers’ collection were missing from their residence.‘Eine Liste dieser fehlende Objekte ist in der Anlage beigeschlossen. Vor allem konnte nicht ein einziger von den 34 Räucherchinesen zustande gebracht werden und auch von den vier Originalkasten mit kostbarstem Porzellanservicen sind nur zwei vorhanden….’The following was stated about the missing objects on 3 June 1939.’…es nicht ausgeschlossen erscheint, dass diese der Geheimen Staatspolizei übergegeben wurden. Unwahrscheinlich ist es, dass einzelne Objekte schon vor der Machtergreifung durch Oppenheimer selbst entfernt wurden, da Oppenheimer sich vor dem Umbruch nur auf wenige Tage ins Ausland begeben und nur kleine Handgepäck mitgenommen hatte. Oppenheimer ist seither nicht mehr nach Wien gekommen.’
11. On 10 June 1939 an employee of the Zentralstelle für Denkmalschutz wrote in a letter to the Kulturamt der Gaustadt Vienna that some of the artworks among Oppenheimer’s possessions had disappeared without trace and that people were in the dark with regard to the artworks that Oppenheimer had deposited with the customs.
    ‘Im Zuge der Sicherungen von Kunstwerken aus jüdischem Besitz wurde von der Zentralstelle f.Dsch. ermittelt, dass die Sammlung des Emigranten Dr. Franz Oppenheimer, Wien, III., Reisnerstrasse 48, sich nicht mehr an Ort und Stelle befindet. Die Sammlung wurde … unter denkmalbehördlichen Kontrolle (Frühjahr 1937) aus Berlin eingeführt. Sammlung Oppenheimer ist eine der bedeutendsten Sammlungen von Meisner-Porzellan der Welt. In der Wohnung befand sich dann nur ein Teil der Sammlung, die übrigen Bestände wurden in einem Lagerhaus unter Zollverschluss deponiert. Die letztgenannten Gegenstände konnten bisher nicht ermittelt werden. … Die in der Kreisleitung III vorgefundenen Gegenstände sind ein Bruchteil der Sammlung Oppenheimer wie sie hier amtlich bekannt ist, es fehlen vor allen folgenden Gegenstände: Siehe beiliegende Liste!‘
12. Under ‘Assessment of the Claim’ the Committee will address the question of whether the currently claimed objects belonged to Oppenheimer’s art collection and, if so, when and in which circumstances he lost possession of them. It is clear that at some point the currently claimed objects became part of Fritz Mannheimer’s art collection. The point at which the collection changed hands and the way in which the objects ended up in the possession of the Dutch State is are addressed in the following considerations.
    Fritz Mannheimer
13. Fritz Mannheimer (1890-1939) was a German-born banker who settled in Amsterdam in 1918. Starting in 1920, Mannheimer ran his own firm, an Amsterdam branch of the prestigious bank Mendelssohn & Co of Berlin. The limited partnership was legally separated from the Berlin company.Over time Mannheimer built up a huge art collection in his home in Hobbemastraat in Amsterdam. It was described as ‘de grootste en kostbaarste particuliere verzameling in Nederland’ [‘the biggest and most valuable private collection in the Netherlands’]. This collection was inventoried in a catalogue prepared by Otto von Falke and dated November 1935 – March 1936. Mannheimer opposed the Nazis from the Netherlands and provided aid to Jews who had fled Germany. Thanks to his many business contacts, Mannheimer was able to play an important role in facilitating the escape of Jews and their assets from Nazi Germany.
14. After the eruption of anti-Jewish violence on Reichskristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) on 9 November 1938, Mendelssohn & Co in Berlin was closed down by the Nazis. The German firm was forced to withdraw from the Amsterdam business. The last major financial operation that Mannheimer was involved in during 1939 included refinancing part of the French national debt. The series of issues failed, due in part to increasing international tensions. Mannheimer was obliged to buy back the unplaced French bonds at his own expense, as a result of which in the summer of 1939 Mendelssohn soon encountered a severe liquidity crisis.On Tuesday 8 August 1939 Mannheimer left for France. Upon his arrival in Vaucresson he went for a short walk in the garden, after which he had a heart attack and died a few hours later.
15. Mendelssohn & Co stopped its operations immediately after Mannheimer’s death. After an inventory it emerged that Mendelssohn’s debts were huge – over 42 million guilders. Mannheimer’s estate was jointly and severally liable for the financial commitments that the limited partnership had entered into during his lifetime. On 28 August 1939 the court in Amsterdam ordered the liquidation of Dr Fritz Mannheimer’s estate and appointed E.J. Korthals Altes (1898-1981) as administrator. In the end the implementation of the liquidation would take nearly a quarter of a century.Korthals Altes immediately had experts from the Rijksmuseum inventory and value the art collection in Mannheimer’s residence. It emerged that a part of the goods had become the property of the British company Artistic and General Securities Ltd. in 1934. The inventory and valuation of the collection was completed in around March 1940. According to Korthals Altes, the result of the valuation was that objects with a value of approximately five million guilders proved to belong to Artistic, and in addition objects worth a further one and a half million guilders were present that Mannheimer has to have acquired after 1934.
16. German art buyers showed interest in the Mannheimer Collection shortly after the German invasion on 10 May 1940. Mendelssohn & Co asked Korthals Altes to take part in a discussion with Kajetan Mühlmann, a member of the SS who had been made responsible by Reichs Commissioner Arthur Seyss Inquart for acquiring art on behalf of the Third Reich. Korthals Altes agreed to the sale of the art collection but had a passage incorporated in the contract stating that the transaction was involuntary, to which Mühlmann had no objections. Korthals Altes received confirmation from Mühlmann ‘dat hier geen sprake was van een vrijwilligen verkoop, waarvan weigering hun vrijstond, maar van een maatregel der bezettingsautoriteiten, waarbij zij zich hadden neer te leggen op gevaar van verbeurdverklaring zonder eenige schadeloosstelling’ [‘that it was not a voluntary sale, which they were entitled to refuse, but a measure by the occupying authorities to which they had to submit or run the risk of confiscation without any compensation’].
17. After the liberation, the artworks from the Mannheimer Collection that had been taken to Germany were found in Germany and brought back to the Netherlands. After the recovery of the objects, the administrators of the insolvent estate were faced with the question of whether they would request restoration of rights in regard to the sale to Mühlmann. In the end they did not because if the art collection was restituted, the State would claim the purchase price received from the Germans.

Conclusion

The Restitutions Committee advises the Minister of Education, Culture and Science to restitute 107 object groups as listed in the appendix to this advice to the heirs of Dr Franz Oppenheimer.

Adopted on 14 October 2019 by A. Hammerstein (Chair), S.G. Cohen-Willner, J.H.W. Koster, J.H. van Kreveld, D. Oostinga, E.H. Swaab (Vice-Chair) and C.C. Wesselink, and signed by the Chair and the Secretary.

(A. Hammerstein, Chair)    (E.J.A. Idema, Secretary)