Degenerate Art – The Dark Chapter of German Museum and Art History

The term "degenerate art" refers to artworks and cultural movements that did not conform to the ideology of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany and were therefore incompatible with the Nazi regime's understanding of art and ideal of beauty.

The word "degeneration" was first used in a derogatory context in the 19th century and originally comes from High Middle German, where it meant "to deviate from the norm." The Jewish cultural critic Max Nordau attempted to prove that the degeneration of art could be traced back to the degeneration of artists. These theories were adopted by the National Socialists .

The "Degenerate Art" campaign targeted art itself as a crime against the state. It is one of the darkest chapters in German museum and art history.

Works of art from certain movements that did not conform to the National Socialist ideals of beauty and ideology were confiscated or destroyed on a large scale. The confiscated works were taken to depots in Berlin and to Schönhausen Palace.

its peak in 1937. Within a few days, hundreds of modern works deemed expressions of "cultural decay" were confiscated and banned from public view. In a second wave of confiscations, all works of art considered "degenerate" by the regime were removed from collections.

Nearly 20,000 works from 101 museums and collections were affected. According to official statements, 1,004 paintings and 3,825 prints were burned on March 20, 1939, in the courtyard of the main fire station in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Other works were auctioned in Switzerland.

One auction The events of June 30, 1939, attracted great interest worldwide. However, since it became known that Nazi Germany intended to improve its foreign exchange status through the sale of the confiscated works of "degenerate art," the results were quite low.

From 1936 onwards, everything deemed degenerate in Germany was banned and persecuted. Only "German art" permitted. The term "degenerate" was used before the German people as justification to exclude an entire segment of the population.

The confiscated works were displayed in Munich in 1937 in the "Degenerate Art" exhibition , which opened in July. This exhibition was a counter-event to the "Great German Art Exhibition," which had opened shortly before.

In the "Degenerate Art" exhibition, all works were crammed together in a very small space and labeled with negative inscriptions to convince the public of the inferiority of the works.

The expropriation of the museums was subsequently legitimized by the "Law on the Confiscation of Products of Degenerate Art" on May 31, 1938. This laid the foundation for the "exploitation" of the works to generate foreign currency.

Finally, I would like to illustrate the fate of Jewish artists using just one example. Otto Freundlich , a Jew, socialist, and abstract artist , born in Pomerania in 1878, became a target of persecution because of his works.

His works were defamed, and many were destroyed. Contact with his former home in Pomerania was made difficult, if not impossible. After years of flight, his fate ended in a concentration camp where he was murdered.

The artworks by Otto Freundlich, which have fortunately survived the test of time, serve as a lasting and cautionary reminder for all.

You can view a whole range of famous works that were labelled “degenerate art” in the following short video:

The video is set to music and also provides some brief facts about this chapter of German art history. We hope you find it informative and engaging.