Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Secures Return of Significant Meissen Porcelain Collection
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has successfully reacquired more than half of a historically significant Meissen porcelain collection, including key highlights like a remarkable clock and an exquisite coffee and tea service. This purchase was made at a recent auction with support from various benefactors, including the Rembrandt Association, the Mondriaan Funds, the National Acquisition Fund of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), the VriendenLoterij, and a private donor through the Rijksmuseum Fund.
These items originally belonged to the Oppenheimer collection, assembled by the German-Jewish couple Franz and Margarethe Oppenheimer. After being displayed at the Rijksmuseum from 1952, the collection was restituted to the Oppenheimer heirs in 2019 and subsequently put up for auction.
Displaying a Legacy: The Oppenheimer Collection's Return to Amsterdam
This reacquisition ensures that a vital part of European applied art history, with a profound personal narrative, will remain accessible for public viewing in Amsterdam. Taco Dibbits, director of the Rijksmuseum, expressed the museum's pleasure in securing a substantial portion of this important collection, which will now be displayed permanently. He emphasized the opportunity to highlight the Oppenheimer family's personal story and the journey of their collection during and after the Second World War.
Among the notable pieces reacquired are a clock, specifically a Clock case depicting Arachne and Athena from 1727, and a coffee and tea service, including a service with the Morosini family coat of arms from 1731.
Understanding Meissen Porcelain: A European Artistic Milestone
The creation of Meissen porcelain marks a pivotal moment in European applied arts. This "white gold," the first true European porcelain, was developed in 1708 at the Royal Court in Dresden under the patronage of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony. The secret manufacturing method for such porcelain had previously been known only in Asia.
The Oppenheimers were renowned for collecting only the highest quality Meissen objects, often featuring exquisite decoration and gilding, with many originally crafted for Augustus the Strong's palaces. This exceptional standard has made the Rijksmuseum's Meissen collection globally recognized, considered second only to Dresden's Porzellansammlung. It remains a unique opportunity in the Netherlands to view European art of such distinction.
The Journey of the Oppenheimer Collection
The story of the Oppenheimer collection is intertwined with the tragic events of the Second World War. Facing Nazi persecution, Franz and Margarethe Oppenheimer fled Berlin to Austria in 1936, and then to the United States in 1938. During their escape, they took part of their collection and sold a significant portion between 1936 and 1939 to Fritz Mannheimer, an Amsterdam-based German-Jewish banker.
After Mannheimer's death, his estate went bankrupt, and his collection was sold under Nazi pressure to pay creditors. Post-war, the collection was recovered and placed with the Dutch State, with a large part incorporated into the Rijksmuseum’s applied arts collection in 1952.
In 2015, the Oppenheimer heirs submitted a claim for over a hundred objects in the Dutch National Collection, 92 of which were managed by the Rijksmuseum. Following a thorough investigation, the Restitutions Committee advised the minister to return the objects, a decision affirmed in December 2019. The Rijksmuseum has been conducting its own research into the provenance of its collection related to the Second World War since 2012, with the Oppenheimer collection previously classified as "of uncertain origin."
This reacquisition ensures that a significant portion of this historically important collection remains accessible to the public in Amsterdam. For more insights into prominent cultural institutions like the Rijksmuseum and other cultural highlights across the city, Musemap (musemap.art) offers a guide to Amsterdam's diverse cultural landscape. Explore more Amsterdam museums or discover what's on during your visit.
