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Detailed Interrogation Report No 5 by the Art Looting Investigation Unit of the OSS...

Catalogue reference: T 209/29/4

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This record is about the Detailed Interrogation Report No 5 by the Art Looting Investigation Unit of the OSS... dating from 1945 in the series British Committee on the Preservation and Restitution of Works of Art, Archives and.... It is held at The National Archives, Kew.

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Full description and record details

Reference
T 209/29/4
Date
1945
Description
<p>Detailed Interrogation Report No 5 by the Art Looting Investigation Unit of the OSS on Guenther Schiedlausky [sometimes spelled Schiedlauski] divided into three sections, dated 15 August 1945. Part I includes an overview of Schiedlausky's life, political affiliation, academic career - first as research assistant in the department of sculpture of the State Museums in Berlin, inventorying the cultural monuments in the vicinity of Oppeln, in Upper Silesia, then at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence - and military career as Kriegsverwaltungsassessor [KVA] in the Kunstschutz in Paris from October 1940. Part II describes Schiedlausky's activities in the ERR from November 1940 as a specialist with the Sonderstab Bildende Kunst. 'He stated that his first assignment with the Einsatzstab was the preparation of an exhibition, for Goering, of works from the newly-acquired Seligmann collection' and provided information on ten subsequent exhibitions held for Goering between November 1940 and December 1941. 'Schiedlausky was further charged with the responsibility for research and for the cataloguing and the inventorying of the material confiscated by the Einsatzstab'. In September 1941 he was transferred to Schloss Neuschwanstein as custodian of the deposit to which the ERR material had been brought. He was subsequently responsible for the care of the major ERR repositories in Neuschwanstein, Buxheim and Chiemsee and for the transfer of their contents to the salt mine at Alt Aussee, in Austria. Part III summarises his role and future utilisation stating that 'Schiedlausky was a confirmed National Socialist, who appears to have no quarrel with the "ideological" basis for the confiscations effected by the Einsatzstab Rosenberg in France. [...] However, it is believed that he acted in good faith within the limitations of his assignment. There is no evidence available to indicate that he ever derived personal profit from Einsatzstab activity, or that he ever initiated -- or participated in -- looting operations. He belonged to the more moderate, professionally responsible element of the Einsatzstab, which prepared inventories through which it has become possible to trace and make available for restitution the great majority of the works confiscated'. As a consequence, 'unless it should be determined that all Einsatzstab personnel are to be held responsible personally for the criminal acts perpetrated by the organization, there appears to be no tangible basis for the retention of Schiedlausky as a war criminal. However, because of his long, intimate and authoritative connection with the ERR, both in France and Germany, it is recommended a. that he be held as a material witness [...] and b. that he be employed in a controlled technical capacity in the work of checking and sorting objects confiscated by the ERR, preparatory to their final disposition'. </p>
Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C11645680/

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Series information

T 209

British Committee on the Preservation and Restitution of Works of Art, Archives and...

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Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

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Within the department: T

Records created or inherited by HM Treasury

101 records

Within the series: T 209

British Committee on the Preservation and Restitution of Works of Art, Archives and...

18 records

Within the piece: T 209/29

Interrogation reports of collectors of looted works of art. (Described at item level).

You are currently looking at the item: T 209/29/4

Detailed Interrogation Report No 5 by the Art Looting Investigation Unit of the OSS...

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