Kurt Walter Bachstitz (4 October 1882 – 28 May 1949 in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

art dealer An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art, or acts as the intermediary between the buyers and sellers of art. An art dealer in contemporary art typically seeks out various artists to represent, and builds relationsh ...

. He died shortly before his naturalization to the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

General Information

Until emigration 1938

Bachstitz was born as the child of the Jewish couple Liber Jacob Bachstitz and Mathilde Markowitz. His place of birth is arguable. All contemporary sources mention the formerly German Breslau (the present-day Polish

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

) as his place of birth. But Bachstitz requested for himself the Austrian village Raipoltenbach as his place of birth when he claimed at the U.S. Department of Labor for an extension of his temporary stay in 1931. He studied architecture in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

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and

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

where he finished his studies with a diploma. On the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he was called up for military service and served between 1914 and 1918 as an officer, lastly in the rank of a troop captain. He served actively in the field until 1916, when he was severely wounded. He married Elfriede Pesé (died in 1918) with whom he had two children – a son Walter Werner Michael who died in 1943 by tuberculosis in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and a daughter, Margit Martha who died in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in 1981. On 19 December 1918 he married his second wife Elisa ("Lilly") Emma Hofer. Lilly was a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

. Because of her Bachstitz converted to the evangelic faith. In 1919 he apparently lived and traded in Munich. In his diary

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...

wrote about a meeting in Bachstitz' Munich apartment, where Mann bought a work from Bachstitz. He described him quite prerogatively as a "blond-Jewish" example of an "international culture-capitalistic profiteer". In 1920 he established an art dealership in the Hague named Kunsthandel K.W. Bachstitz (Bachstitz Gallery N.V.). Surinamestraat 11, He lived in Vienna and in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and he created an internationally known company with art galleries in The Hague,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and Berlin. Lilly was the sister of art dealer Walter Andreas Hofer who had managed the Gallery in The Hague for a while and subsequently became an art buyer for

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...

. In 1937 Bachstitz waived his Austrian citizenship. In 1938 the couple moved to The Hague.

World War II

Between the beginning of the German occupation in 1940 and 1941 Bachstitz sold a number of paintings to the " Sondernauftrag Linz" that was run by

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

's Special Representative of the planned '

Führermuseum The ''Führermuseum'' or ''Fuhrer-Museum'' (English language, English: Leader's Museum), also referred to as the Linz art gallery, was an unrealized art museum within a cultural complex planned by Adolf Hitler for his hometown, the Austrian ci ...

' in Linz,

Hans Posse Dr. Hans Posse (6 February 1879 – 7 December 1942) was a German art historian, museum curator, and, for over three years, from June 1939 until his death, the special representative of Adolf Hitler appointed to expand the collection of paint ...

until his death in 1942. Among the works sold to the Sonderauftrag were the following: *

Ferdinand Bol Ferdinand Bol (24 June 1616 - 24 August 1680) was a Dutch painter, etcher and draftsman. Although his surviving work is rare, it displays Rembrandt's influence; like his master, Bol favored historical subjects, portraits, numerous self-portraits, ...

"The Angel of the Lord appears unto Gideon
NK 2484
* Stephan Godl "Adam and Eve"
NK 636-a-b
The correspondence between Bachstitz and Posse concerning these works is preserved. Posse achieved high price reductions. *Greek / Tanagra Figure "Standing Woman"
NK 620RMO, LeidenCCP-Database
* Girolamo da Santa Croce "Saint John the Baptist"
NK 1627
*German (Cologne) "A small altar with saints and two scenes"
NK 2707
*German (also Alpian) "St. Mary and St. John before the Crucifixion"
NK 1552
*Greek Snake Bracelets
NK 864-a-b
*Greek Carnelian Engraved Gem
2904
*

Gerrit Berckheyde Gerrit Adriaenszoon Berckheyde (1638 – 10 June 1698) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, active in Haarlem, Amsterdam, and The Hague, who is best known today for his cityscapes. Biography Berckheyde was born and died in Haarlem. Christen ...

"Grote Markt with Cathedral St. Bavo in Haarlem"
NK 2581CCP-DatabaseFrans Hals Museum, Haarlem
img title="Berkheyde-Haarlem"; style="text-decoration: none; height:150px;float: left; padding: 0px 3px 0px 0px;"src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Berkheyde-Haarlem.jpg" > * Alexander Colin "Heavenly Apparition over a Town"
NK 631
*

Canaletto Giovanni Antonio Canal (18 October 1697 – 19 April 1768), commonly known as Canaletto (), was an Italian painter from the Republic of Venice, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school. Painter of cityscapes or ...

(copy after) "The return of the Bucintoro to the Molo on Ascension day
NK 1798
*

Jan van Scorel Jan van Scorel (1 August 1495 – 6 December 1562) was a Dutch painter, who played a leading role in introducing aspects of Italian Renaissance painting into Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting. He was one of the early painters of the Roman ...

"St. Paul
NK 2919
* Pietro Cappelli "Roman Capriccio
NK 1892
*Greek Golden bracelet with Serapis head, 1st centur
NK 865/CCP-DatabaseRMO, Leiden
*Surrounding of Giovanni di Francesco del Cervelliera Fram
NK1787
*

François Duquesnoy François Duquesnoy or Frans Duquesnoy (12 January 1597 – 18 July 1643) was a Flanders, Flemish Baroque sculptor who was active in Rome for most of his career, where he was known as Il Fiammingo ("the Fleming"). His idealized representations re ...

"Cupido" (attribution: Venice, 16th century
CCP-Database
*Greek "standing woman 'the night' (Nyx)"
CCP-Database

Getty Villa Malibu
In February 1941 Bachstitz officially resigned as supervisory director of the Bachstitz Gallery and his wife became the managing director. Together with his wife, he continued to provide a clandestine management role. In this way, they avoided having the Gallery placed under the forced administration for the duration of the war. According to the documents in the file concerning his successful application to become a Dutchman after the war the couple provided undercover protection for Jews trying to escape the authorities. In 1942 Bachstitz was summoned by the occupation authority (the "Wirtschaftsamt") as he had failed to register the gallery as "non-Aryan property". Proceedings were commenced against him and he was arrested by the

Sicherheitsdienst ' (, "Security Service"), full title ' ("Security Service of the ''Reichsführer-SS''"), or SD, was the intelligence agency of the Schutzstaffel, SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Established in 1931, the SD was the first Nazi intelligence ...

(SD) in July 1943 and imprisoned in the Scheveningen prison in The Hague. Due to an intervention of Göring initiated by Bachstitz' brother-in-law Hofer, he was released from prison. He was then also exempted from wearing the Star of David. Furthermore, the couple had their marriage dissolved in September 1943 to prevent the confiscation of the gallery by the occupying authority. Between 1942 und 1944 Bachstitz sold a number of works to the museums that were run by

Kurt Martin Kurt Martin (31 January 1899 – 27 January 1975) was a German art historian. His career began in 1927 as curator of the . From 1934 to 1956, he was director of the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Staatlichen Kunsthalle Karlsruhe (National Art ...

, the head of the Museums of the Upper Rhine (Alsace and Baden) under

Robert Heinrich Wagner Robert Heinrich Wagner, born as Robert Heinrich Backfisch (13 October 1895 – 14 August 1946) was a German Nazi Party official and politician who served as ''Gauleiter'' and ''Reichsstatthalter'' of Baden, and Chief of Civil Administrati ...

. In 1944 Bachstitz managed to obtain permission to leave the Netherlands and he emigrated to Switzerland, again with the help of Andreas Hofer. As a bribe for the exit visa Bachstitz had to hand over art to Hermann Göring, namely a painting with the Samson and Delilah motive by

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen ( – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. Life ...

, as well two antique necklaces.

After the war - successful and unsuccessful restitution efforts

After the war the Allies returned most of the art that the gallery had sold to German authorities to the Netherlands. The Netherlands restituted the painting by Jan Steen but rejected an application for the restitution of the other works. They became part of the Collection of the ''Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit'' (SNK). Kurt Walter Bachsitz and Lilly Bachstitz-Hofer were again registered as officially married. Kurt Walter Bachstitz died in 1949. In 1951 his widow liquidated the Bachstitz Gallery N.V. with a high deficit. The gallery's art library was auctioned off. In 2009 the Dutch government restituted the painting "Roman Capriccio" by

Pietro Capelli Pietro Capelli or Pietro Cappelli (born circa 1700, died 1724 or 1727) was an Italian painter of the Rococo, active in his native city of Naples. He trained under Francesco Solimena. He was active in quadratura, but also painted capricci and canva ...

from the stock of the SNK to Bachstitz' grandchildren. However, the Restitution Committee of the Netherlands denied restitution of a number of other works, among them the works sold to Hitler (''Sonderauftrag Linz''). Regarding most of these works, the Committee ruled that these sales had not been made under duress because Bachstitz had been left "undisturbed" in 1940 and 1941. The grandchildren applied in 2013 for the re-opening of the case in this regard.Act RC 4.138 In July 2013 the Prussian Heritage Foundation restituted a Tyrolean gothic wall-mounted writing slate (c. 1500) and a large 16th-century Italian bronze mortar. Bachstitz' grandchildren are still searching for many works of art that were lost due to National-Socialist persecution.

References

External links