RESEARCHING THE ADLER ART COLLECTION

At the core of 'The Karl and Emilie Adler Collection Project' lies the art collection of Karl and Emilie Adler from Munich. Acquired and meticulously curated by Karl starting in 1910, it was entirely obliterated following the rise of the National Socialists, through forced sales and confescation.

Conducted from June 2021 to March 2024 and supported by the German Lost Art Foundation (Deutschen Zentrum Kulturgutverluste), the project centred on reconstructing the previously unknown collection holdings and tracing the whereabouts of artworks missing since 1938/39.

RESEARCHED COLLECTION: INVENTORY

The Adlers' art collection included objects ranging from classical and modern works of art, such as several paintings by Leo Putz, Josef Scharl and Max Kuschel, among others, entire portfolios of drawings by Max Slevogt and Francisco de Goya, numerous graphic works by Oskar Kokoschka, Max Klinger, Käthe Kollwitz and Max Liebermann, for example, to precious cabinets and sculptures from the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods, arts and crafts from Japan, China, India and the Orient, porcelain, silver objects and a library consisting of around 1,000 volumes with numerous bibliophile editions of classics and modern art journals.

The most striking aspect of this extensive collection was undoubtedly its focus on Modernist prints, a genre later labelled "degenerate art" by the Nazis. The collection features around 310 prints by key figures of classical modernism, with Alfred Kubin at its centre. Kubin's contribution includes 16 drawings and 130 lithographs, among which are at least seven pen and ink lithographs.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The following methods were used to carry out the research project:

  • Reconstruction of the former holdings of the Karl and Emilie Adler Collection, Munich.

  • Identification of the artworks; clarification of the provenance and determination of their whereabouts.

    • Evaluation of surviving documents from the years 1933 to 1960, which deal with the persecution of the Adler family by the National Socialists that began in 1933, the expropriation and the restitution proceedings initiated after 1945. 

    • Review of the file containing confiscation records and letters which was found in the archives of the Munich City Museum in 2007. 

    • A particularly important source was the five-page inventory of the Adler apartment in Munich, which Emilie Adler and her son-in-law Erich Glas handed over to the restitution authorities in Munich in March 1960.

    • Copies of correspondence between Karl Adler and Alfred Kubin as well as Erich Glas and Kubin.

    • In addition, a few B&W photographs of the interiors of the house in Munich Harlaching, which the Adler family lived in until the beginning of October 1933, have been preserved in the possession of the descendants. The photographs give an impression of the sumptuous furnishings of the rooms. 

    • Research in catalogues of past exhibitions, museum archives, galleries and auction records to determine the provenance of the artworks.

    • Interviewing experts to gain valuable insights into artistic styles and historical contexts. 

RESULTS

As already mentioned, the Adler art collection was a special collection that not only included classical art, as is common among contemporary collectors, but also focused on modern art. 

This special character made the research particularly special and different - and equally difficult- for everyone involved.

A large part of the collection consisted of prints and etchings on paper, typically created in larger editions (series of 50 or 100 prints). Many of these works appear in the confiscation files listed by number only (e.g., "Alfred Kubin, folder with 15 prints"). While these lists confirm the richness of the collection's core – a treasure trove of modern graphic art – they unfortunately don't provide enough detail to identify specific items. Additionally, it is not known whether Karl Adler marked these with a corresponding name abbreviation or a collector's stamp. This makes it practically impossible to trace the path of the prints and to identify the one copy among many as the specific one from the Adler collection.

Reconstructing the many drawings and paintings was also a challenge: the surviving documents and files often only mention the artist, while the titles of the works, more precise descriptions or illustrations are missing.

Many of the paintings are early works by the then young artists. They often showed recurring themes and approaches that later became trademarks of their developing styles and underlined the Adlers' eye for modern art.

During the period of confiscation, however, these paintings were catalogued under titles that lacked the specificity required for conclusive research results.

For example, the Adlers owned a colourful painting by Leo Putz depicting a lady in a hat walking in the park - a subject that Putz dominated over the years. In the confiscation files, the work only appears as "Lady with a Hat". Leo Putz was a well-known and respected artist during his lifetime, whose works were exhibited in renowned galleries and salons throughout Europe. He was also known above all for his portraits of beautiful young women, whom he often depicted in fashionable clothing, including hats. Searching for the "Lady with a Hat" in catalogues of past exhibitions, auction houses, galleries and museums is like looking for a particular grain of sand on a vast beach.

For these reasons, the whereabouts of Karl Adler's extensive art collection, which had been destroyed by expropriation and looting since 1938/39, could not be fully reconstructed and clarified.

Despite these challenges, some notable discoveries were made. Here are a few highlights.

  • A drawing by Max Slevogt, "German Eagle and English Lion", 1900 (more here).

  • The provenances of seven lithographs by Alfred Kubin, the cycle "Intermezzi" by Max Klinger, the watercolour "Susanna im Bade" by Franz Naager and the drypoint etching "Portrait Konrad Dreher" by Olaf Gulbransson were also clarified. After these works - as well as the drawing by Max Slevogt - were confiscated by the Gestapo in November 1938, they were first taken to the Maximilianeum in Munich at the beginning of 1939 and from there to the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung in Munich, where they were burned in July 1944. 

  • The painting "Breakfast outdoors” by Leo Putz, dated 1907, has been in the collection of the South Tyrolean building contractor Siegfried Unterberger since 2000. 

In summary, the true legacy of this collection may not have been found in its full reconstruction or its material recovery, but in the stories it continued to reveal. 

The descendants of the Adlers reflect:

“The purpose of the research from its very beginning extended far beyond simply "finding and returning" stolen artworks. It was primarily to delve into the unusual and unjust journey of the lost pieces from the Adlers' art collection. The research also aimed to shed light on the lives of Karl and Emilie themselves, potentially uncovering other family stories.”

As a result, these stories have come to light, enriching our understanding of the Adlers' lives. Now, they can be shared with their descendants – stories for future generations – and with art and history lovers in general.”

Here are a few of these stories. 

A detailed list of the research results can be found on the database page and in the DZK Lost Art Database.

RESEARCH TEAM

  • Dr. Vanessa Voigt

    Dr. Vanessa Voigt, with over 20 years of experience as a freelance provenance researcher, brings a proven track record in aiding international collectors, private individuals, museums, institutions, and legal professionals. Her expertise lies in researching the ownership history of artworks and cultural assets, particularly those seized during the Nazi persecution era.
    Dr. Voigt served as the lead researcher and project manager for "The Karl & Emilie Adler Collection Project", a comprehensive effort to reconstruct the collection and locate artworks missing since 1938, which began in June 2021.

  • Dr. Sophia Barth

    Dr. des. Sophia Barth brings a multifaceted perspective to provenance research, having studied art history, history, and communication science at universities in Munich and Edinburgh,with a doctoral dissertation on Nazi art dealer Alois Miedl (2024). Having worked in the field of provenance research since 2021, Barth joined the Adler Research Project from its inception, gathering primary sources for reconstructing the art collection, identifying artworks, researching family and artist biographies, and conducting archive, literature, and database investigations.

  • Julia Heinzerling

    Julia Heinzerling, M.A., is a freelance provenance researcher since 2019, specialising in scientific dossiers and researching the whereabouts of art and cultural assets. With a background in art history and museology, she gained international experience through internships in Florence, focusing on European art of the 14th-16th centuries and historical photography, especially related to Nazi-persecution seizure of art objects. In the Adler Project, she conducts comprehensive research, including database searches, correspondence checks, and final editing.

  • Johannes Walk

    Johannes Walk studied cultural studies with a focus on literature at the FernUniversität in Hagen. His thesis on the changes in gender tropes in modern horror films was honoured by the Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences. As part of the 'The Karl and Emilie Adler Collection Project', he supported research in auction catalogues, helped create a database and wrote Wikipedia articles to document the history of the Adler family.