A number of fonds held by the Swiss Federal Archives contain information on looted art. Some can be retrieved from general business dossiers, others from dossiers classified according to the names of people.
Documents from the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA)
Between 1935 and 1954, a licence was required to import works of art. Responsibility for reviewing import applications and issuing licences lay with the FDHA. Of interest are the sub-fonds E3001A* Sekretariat des eidgenössischen Departements des Innern: Zentrale Ablage (1909-1941) and E3001B* Generalsekretariat des eidgenössischen Departements des Innern: Zentrale Ablage (1975-). However, only a small number of applications and licences have been preserved. They are mainly located in the dossiers under file references 10.1.42, 10.1.47 and 10.01.08.01, 10.01.08.02. Most of these dossiers can be viewed online.
Documents of the Federal Finance Administration (FFA)
File reference F.31-16 in the series E6100A-24#F.31 Bundesbeiträge, Rechtspflege, Politik, Polizei contains a range of dossiers on the looted assets proceedings in the immediate post-war period. These also contain information on individual people and artworks. Most of these dossiers can be viewed online.
Documents of the Swiss Clearing Office (SCO)
Established in 1934 as a public-law corporation based in Zurich, the Swiss Clearing Office was responsible for reconciling and checking (clearing) transactions with foreign countries. After the Second World War, it was also charged with freezing, reporting, liquidating and releasing «German» assets in Switzerland. Relevant information can be found in a number of sub-fonds, including:
The series E7160-01#08.09 Kunsthandelsfirmen, E7160-08#1.1 Alter Verkehr and E7160-08#2.4 Spezialfälle contain dossiers that are classified according to the names of people. In the series E7160-07#4.1 Rote Streifen it is possible to search by name for creditors that were notified to the SCO in accordance with the Federal Council Decree of 29 May 1945 (reporting requirement for German assets). Original reports of safe openings by the SCO can be accessed in the series E7160-07#4.9 Safes. The series E7160-07#5 Spezialbüro documents investigations into individuals and legal entities. These cases are identifiable in an alphabetical card index; the major ones can also be searched via the dossier title. Only some of the dossiers are currently available to view online.
Documents of the Directorate General of Customs (DGC)
The most interesting sub-fonds here is E6351F* Oberzolldirektion: Zentrale Ablage (1930-1959). However, this mostly includes only general information, which is contained in the dossiers of series E6351F#1.04-049 Kunst-, Sammlungs- und Demonstrations-gegenstände, etc., E6351F#1.05-086 Waren zum ungewissen Verkauf and E6351F#1.13 Beschränkungen / Verbote. The dossiers are not yet available to view online.
Documents of the Political Affairs Divison
The series E2001E#B.52.3 Behandlung feindlichen Eigentums contains both general dossiers and many dossiers that are classified according to the names of people. Some relate to issues of looted art. Only some of these dossiers are currently available to view online.
Documents of the Division of Police
The fonds E10452* Eidgenössische Polizeiabteilung (1902-1979) includes individual case files that are classified according to the names of people in the series E4264#P (refugees prior to the outbreak of war) and E4264#N (refugees after the outbreak of war). Because refugees were required to register their assets, they may also contain references to works of art. A large number of these dossiers are already available to view online.
Documentation related to two studies
Both the Independent Commission of Experts Switzerland – Second World War and the historian Thomas Buomberger have deposited their research documentation with the Swiss Federal Archives for safekeeping. Of particular interest are the series E9500.239A#64-01 Fluchtgut-Raubgut and J1.269-01#1 Dokumentation zum Thema Raubkunst. Only some of these dossiers are currently available to view online.
Last modification 04.03.2024
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