Hitler's Art Thief

Hildebrand Gurlitt, the Nazis, and the Looting of Europe's Treasures

By: Susan Ronald

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

The world was stunned when 80-year old Cornelius Gurlitt became an international media superstar in November 2013 on the discovery of over 1,400 artworks in his 1,076 square-foot Munich apartment, valued at around $1.35 billion. Gurlitt became known as a man who never was - he didn't have a bank account, never paid tax, never received social security. He simply did not exist. He had been hard-wired into a life of shadows and secrecy by his own father long before he had inherited his art collection built on the spoliation of museums and Jews during Hitler's Third Reich. The ensuing media frenzy unleashed international calls for restitution, unsettled international relations, and rocked the art world.

Susan Ronald reveals in this stranger-than-fiction-tale how Hildebrand Gurlitt succeeded in looting in the name of the Third Reich, duping the Monuments Men and the Nazis alike. As an "official dealer" for Hitler and Goebbels, Hildebrand Gurlitt became one of the Third Reich's most prolific art looters. Yet he stole from Hitler, too, allegedly to save modern art. Hitler's Art Thief is the untold story of Hildebrand Gurlitt, who stole more than art - he stole lives, too.

©2015 Susan Ronald (P)2019 Tantor

awesome

loved it. wonderful history and research. a must read for all art lovers. i enjoyed looking up the paintings.

A bit of a snore

Too much war background not enough on topic. Had to give it up on chapter 5. It’s like listening to someone who always goes off on a tangent.