The looting
During the Second World War, the occupying forces systematically robbed the Jews of their valuables. The Germans had a network of experts in charge of selecting and selling these art works. Among them was Katejan Mühlmann. On 15 May 1940, Dienststelle Mühlmann was established. This was a body that was intended to acquire important art works in the Netherlands for Germany.
There were also other competitors in addition to Mühlmann and his employees. One of the most prominent was Erhard Göpel, who bought millions of guilders worth of art for the Führer Museum that Hitler wished to establish in the Austrian city of Linz. Göring too had his own buyer, Andreas Hofer. They did not only confiscate Jewish property; they also purchased works of art in regular trading. However, these objects were bought with guilders, which had been obtained in exchange for relatively worthless German marks at the Nederlandsche Bank (Dutch Central Bank).
Another way that Jewish property was obtained, was via the looting bank, the Liro. During the war, a Verwalter (administrator) was appointed at Lippman-Rosenthal Co., a Jewish bank in Nieuwe Spiegelstraat in Amsterdam. This happened in all Jewish businesses. This Verwalter became the manager of the bank, and started a new branch as well, Lippmann-Rosenthal Sarphatistraat, or Liro for short. In 1941, Jews had to move their bank accounts to this bank. They were no longer able to access their money freely, but received a small monthly living allowance. A year later, they were required to surrender all their jewellery, art works and precious metals to the Liro. Shortly afterwards, deportation began, and all the household goods belonging to deported Jews were confiscated and put in storage. The art that remained behind was immediately sold or auctioned via art dealers and auction houses.
During the war, the Dutch government in London declared that all sales to Germans during the occupation were to be considered illegal. The Allies decided that all art works recovered in Germany after the war were to be returned to the country of origin.
