World War II

The Systematic Plunder: Art Looting in Nazi-Occupied Holland

Nazi-occupied Holland saw systematic art looting coordinated by Kajetan Mühlmann's Dienststelle Mühlmann. This office played a central role in the theft of countless artworks during WWII.

nazis-looted-art-netherlands

In his 1945 report, Dutch Intelligence officer Jan Vlug wrote, “Rotterdam was still burning when Kajetan Mühlmann in his SS-uniform arrived in Holland to take up his new task as chief of the Dienststelle.”

Established in 1940, the Dienststelle Mühlmann processed artworks confiscated from Jews and other “enemies” of the Reich. Simultaneously, Mühlmann’s office acted as an agency for art dealerships, delivering paintings and other cultural items to high-ranking Nazi officials. Soon, Mühlmann created a vast network of art dealers, auction houses, and art experts, becoming a central figure in WWII art looting.

Kajetan Mühlmann: From WWI to the Dienststelle Mühlmann

Born in Uttendorf, Austria, in 1898, Kajetan Mühlmann volunteered to fight in World War I. He was wounded in 1918 and received various decorations for his service. However, after the conflict, he was disappointed by the Treaty of St. Germain, which prohibited Austria from uniting with Germany.

After receiving a doctorate in art history from the University of Vienna, Mühlmann moved to Salzburg and became the lead publicity agent for the city’s Festspiele in 1926. This position allowed him to promote Austrian culture. He also became acquainted with Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a lawyer and the future Reich Commissioner for the Netherlands. In the 1930s, both men worked to strengthen the banned Nazi party’s basis in Austria. During his post-war interrogations, Mühlmann claimed he was never a member of the NSDAP, but according to Wilhelm Höhl of the Nazi Security Service, he worked as a confidential informant from 1934 to 1938.

After the Anschluss, Mühlmann was appointed state secretary in the Ministry for Interior and Cultural Affairs. Frustrated by German interference, he attempted to persuade Hitler to leave expropriated Jewish-owned artworks in Vienna, leading to his dismissal in June 1939.

Unemployed, Mühlmann reached out to Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, who appointed him Special Delegate of the Reichsmarschall for the Securing of Artistic Treasures in the Former Polish Territories. Here, Mühlmann oversaw the systematic plunder of artworks belonging to Jews, other “enemies” of the Third Reich, and the Polish state. His commandos meticulously located, registered, and relocated seized cultural items.

The Occupation of Holland & Creation of the Dienststelle Mühlmann

The German army invaded Holland in May 1940. General Winkelman, Commander-in-chief of the Dutch armed forces, signed the surrender on May 10. At the end of the month, Seyss-Inquart began to lead the new German administration as Reich Commissioner.

While the occupation of Poland was brutal, the Nazis considered the Dutch population racially similar to Aryans and planned to integrate Holland into the Reich. The Nazis believed that once restored to its true Germanic origins, Holland would become part of the New Order for Europe. Representatives of the Ahnenerbe, an archaeological division of the SS, were sent to study and promote Aryanism in Holland.

The occupation led to a different type of art looting than in Poland. In Holland, the Third Reich aimed to “safeguard” valuable looted objects and material useful for researching its “enemies.” Seyss-Inquart oversaw the construction of shelters equipped with sophisticated technology to house masterpieces like Rembrandt’s The Night Watch.

Shortly after arriving in The Hague, Mühlmann inquired about the most valuable collections in the country. He and his staff established their headquarters at Sophialaan and opened three bank accounts to fund purchases for Nazi officials, money from sales of seized items, and revenue from transactions with clients in Poland.

Confiscations, Forced Sales, and Exchanges

After the invasion, the occupation government began arresting German Jews who had escaped to Holland after Hitler rose to power in 1933. Their belongings were collected by the Dienststelle. Mühlmann’s agency also received items seized by the Department of Enemy Property, the Secret Service, and the Gestapo.

The Dienststelle sold many plundered artworks to high-ranking Nazi officials, including Hitler, Goering, and Frank, with Mühlmann and his agents receiving a 10 percent commission. Delivering items to these influential clients was often delicate due to the competition between Hitler and Goering.

In September 1940, Eduard Plietzsch, a German art historian, joined the Dienststelle at The Hague. An expert on Dutch art, Plietzsch provided an exhaustive report on the most important collections in the country that could be expropriated or bought. He relied on information collected by informants.

Besides confiscations, the Dienststelle acquired objects through forced sales and exchanges. The Kröller-Müller Museum, for example, exchanged paintings with Goering for works by van Gogh, Manet, and Degas. These transactions allowed the Nazis to dispose of unwanted “degenerate art.”

Auction Houses, Dealers, and the Dutch Art Market during WWII

In Holland, Mühlmann and his staff were active in the open art market, buying valuable items for wealthy clients. The art trade blossomed during the occupation as German officials had access to millions of guilders in occupation money. Many people sought to invest in artworks as safer assets during the war.

Dutch agents and auction houses were also active in the market, collaborating with the Dienststelle Mühlmann. The Dutch art market had always had a strong link with Germany, and numerous German dealers procured items for their clientele during the occupation.

The End of the Dienststelle Mühlmann

In 1944, Mühlmann moved the Dienstelle’s headquarters to Vienna, but the volume of his transactions shrunk considerably. In 1945, he was arrested by the US Army and sent to the Special Interrogation Center at Altaussee, Austria. During interrogations, he first attempted to justify his actions by claiming his goal had always been the preservation of artworks.

However, he later stated, “The Third Reich had to lose the war because this war was based on robbery and on a system of injustice and violence which could only be broken from the outside. Every individual has now to pay personally for the mortgage which the German people has accepted.”

After collaborating with the Office of Strategic Services, Mühlmann managed to escape from the Allied authorities during hospitalization in 1947. He eventually took refuge in Munich, where he died in 1958.

Conclusion

In 1945, the Dutch government declared at the Reparation Conference in Paris that the damages caused by WWII art looting amounted to around 3.5 billion guilders. The systematic plunder of artworks in Nazi-occupied Holland remains a dark chapter in history, illustrating the extent of the Nazi regime’s cultural destruction and exploitation.


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