Einstehen für «entartete Kunst»

Since its rise to power, the Nazi regime waged a rigorous campaign against modern art. In 1939, it offered works of contemporary art stolen from German museums for sale abroad. Previously, these works had been displayed in Munich as deterrent examples of "degenerate art." How should one respond to the Third Reich's offer abroad? Does purchasing them make one an accomplice to art thieves? Or does it rather make one an advocate and savior of persecuted art? The Kunstmuseum Basel acquired 21 such works. This endeavor was only possible thanks to the commitment of a few art enthusiasts, particularly the museum director Georg Schmidt, and in defiance of the prevailing zeitgeist. With an art-historical contribution by Eva Reifert, curator of the Kunstmuseum Basel.