The Great Culture Robbery: the Plunder of Jewish-Owned Art

Abstract

The plunder of art is a practice which dates back to antiquity. The Romans began to loot more than twenty centuries ago. They were preceded historically by the Greeks, the Persians, the Babylonians and the Israelites, to name but a few. Throughout history, the plunder of art has been an essential aspect or by-product of war and conquest. One of the most important instances of cultural plunder in recent history is that carried out by Napoleon and his invading armies in Italy, Northern Europe, Egypt and the Middle East. Victors have often tried to annihilate their enemies, not only physically but also morally. The plunder of art and the wilful destruction of cultural heritage has been used by the victors as a supplementary means of conquering and humiliating the enemy. We witnessed this most recently during the war in the former Yugoslavia and the turmoil in the republics of the former Soviet Union. Today, we can observe how many art objects from those regions are being put up for sale — without clear provenance — at art markets in Europe and the United States.