Uncovering the History of The Looted Art Depot in the New Palace: A Vienna Exhibition on Nazi Era Confiscations

This exhibition delves into the history of the 'Central Depot for Confiscated Collections' established in the Neue Burg during the Nazi era. It details how looted art and cultural assets, confiscated from persecuted Jewish individuals, were collected, registered, and administered by the Kunsthistorisches Museum under the directive of Adolf Hitler.

The Neue Burg served as a critical site for the Nazi regime's systematic collection and documentation of looted art and cultural goods, primarily from individuals targeted for their Jewish identity. Officially designated in September 1938 with Adolf Hitler's approval, the 'Central Depot for Confiscated Collections' was placed under the administrative and scientific guidance of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, led by Fritz Dworschak. Despite initial delays due to security and staffing issues, the depot occupied 15 halls on the first floor, now housing parts of the Collection of Musical Instruments and the Imperial Armoury. Adolf Hitler visited the rapidly expanding 'collection,' which grew to nearly 10,000 objects by autumn 1938. These items were subject to the 'Führervorbehalt' (Leader's Reservation), granting Hitler preferential rights to the confiscated assets, with valuable pieces earmarked for the planned Führermuseum in Linz and other museums. Correspondence and inventory lists reveal that many objects, seized in 1938 and 1939, were also repurposed for the furnishing of the Neue Burg itself. Fritz Dworschak began advocating for the depot's dissolution by spring 1939, aiming to reclaim space for planned major exhibitions by the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Following the outbreak of war, early art objects were secured, and by March 1940, new museum spaces opened for special exhibitions on the first floor of the Neue Burg. The Central Depot was officially dissolved from May 1941, with its significant confiscated collections dispersed throughout the German Reich by 1943.