Tracing the Origins of a Stacking beaker
For over eighty years, the MAKK’s extensive collections have included a remarkable object of artistic significance: a Renaissance stacking beaker with cover, measuring 14.5 cm in height.
Made in Nuremberg towards the end of the 16th century, this beaker is crafted from silver, partially engraved and cast, and finished with fire-gilding. Particularly striking are the vivid depictions of the seven planetary gods that adorn the domed cover, set within a band of exceptionally clear rock crystal using the technique of reverse glass painting. Recent analysis in collaboration with the Institute for Conversation and Restoration Science at Cologne Technical University has revealed detailed insights into the object’s original appearance and later changes [1].
Further provenance research was sparked by unusual entries in the museum’s inventory book from 1938. Initially listed as a purchase, the beaker was later documented as a gift from the Lucerne art dealer Theodor Fischer (1878-1957), with a recorded value of RM 15,000. On a separate loan list, its value was stated as RM 16,000 [2]. Fischer was one of the key figures involved in the trade of Nazi-looted art in Switzerland. The research uncovered an unusual and complex history behind the beaker’s journey into the museum’s collection [3].
The acquisition occurred at a time when the City of Cologne was seeking to enhance the national and international profile of its museums. In December 1937, the distinguished art historian Dr. Adolf Feulner (1884-1945) was appointed as General Director of the decorative arts collections. This included the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Applied Arts), the Schnütgen Museum, and the Museum of East Asien Art. Funding was initially difficult and limited, but Feulner still sought to expand the collections through targeted acquisitions [4].
The fine Renaissance stacking beaker was brought to the museum on 15 February 1938 by the Munich based art dealer Julius Böhler and Theodor Fischer for inspection and potential purchase. However, its high price likely raised doubts about the museum’s ability to acquire it [5]. This financial concern was soon overshadowed by a politically motivated barter deal.
The arrangement originated from the Nazi authorities in Cologne attempting to gain favour with the influential Prussian Minister-President, Hermann Göring (1893-1946), through valuable gifts. In early summer 1938, the City of Cologne presented Göring with the painting ‘Mary with the Child‘ by Lucas Cranach the Elder (WRM inv. no. 3207) to mark the birth and baptism of his daughter Edda on 2 June 1938. The painting had been purchased for RM 50,000 from Theodor Fischer, funded through the representative budget of Lord Mayor Dr. Karl Georg Schmidt (1904-1940), but the payment of £ 4,000 could not be made due to foreign exchange restrictions [6]. As the painting had already been gifted to Göring, a discreet solution had to be found. In July 1938, the City of Cologne allowed Fischer to select paintings of equivalent value from the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in lieu of a cash payment. Fischer’s first choice, Benozzo Gozzoli’s Sacra Conversazione (formerly WRM inv. no. 500), was refused an export licence as it was deemed an important cultural asset. His second choice, Paul Gauguin’s Rider on the Beach (formerly WRM inv. no. 1202) has already been confiscated as “degenerate art” and sold [7]. Fischer protested to Feulner and threatened to involve Göring if the City of Cologne failed to cooperate [8]. Ultimately, an agreement was reached in August 1938 whereby Fischer would receive Vincent van Gogh’s Portrait of Armand Roulin in exchange for the Cranach-painting as a gift for Göring and artworks valued at £ 1,600 [9]. On 1 March 1940, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum received Emanuel de Witte’s Interior of a Church (WRM inv. no. 2620) [10] from the Amsterdam art dealer Paul de Boer and the Kunstgewerbemuseum finally obtained the stacking beaker, valued at RM 16,000.
Yet the story did not end there. The Cranach painting that had enabled the acquisition of the stacking beaker was taken to Bavaria by Hermann Göring at the end of the Second World War, along with much of his art collection. On 1 August 1945, it arrived at the Munich Central Collecting Point via Berchtesgaden. Several years later, on 20 April 1949, the American military government placed the painting in the custody of Bavarian Minister-President Hans Ehard (1887-1980). That same year, the City of Cologne filed a lawsuit against Theodor Fischer at the Cologne Regional Court, seeking damages under Section 123 of the German Civil Code (BGB) on the grounds of coercion, but the case was dismissed. Further legal disputes followed to establish the rightful ownership of the Cranach painting. More than two decades later, the German Federal Court declared the City of Cologne’s gift to Göring excessive and morally objectionable. On 23 July 1968, Cranach’s Madonna and Child was finally returned to the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, where it now resides in close proximity to the Renaissance stacking beaker [11].
(Authorship: Marcus Leifeld, Britta Olényi von Husen, Karl Tobias Friedrich, Nuray Amrhein)
[1] Karl Tobias Friedrich, Stephanie Dietz, Nuray Amrhein, Ein Deckelgefäß mit Darstellungen der Planetengötter im Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln. An example of universal Renaissance art technology?, in: Theresa Wittig, Ulrike Weinhold (eds.), Farbfassungen der Renaissance. Dresden State Art Collections, Dresden 2020.
[2] MAKK, museum’s archive, inv. no. G 1073.
[3] Thomas Boumberger had already addressed central aspects of this matter in 1998. See: Thomas Buomberger, Raubkunst- Kunstraub. Die Schweiz und der Handel mit gestohlenen Kulturgütern zur Zeit des Zweiten Weltkrieges, Zurich 1998, pp. 52-55.
[4] Westdeutscher Beobachter, 8 March 1938, Morgen-Ausg. See on Feulner: Sebastian Farnung, Kulturpolitik im Dritten Reich am Beispiel Frankfurter Museen (Studien zur Frankfurter Geschichte; Bd. 63), Frankfurt am Main 2016, pp. 103-105.
[5] MAKK, museum‘s archive, “Zugangsblätter”, LG 103; see also: Otto v. Falke, Aus dem Jamnitzerkreis, in: Pantheon, vol. XIX, January-June 1937, p. 60.
[6] See Buomberger, Raubkunst-Kunstraub (see note 3), pp. 52-55.
[7] https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05017046.
[8] See Buomberger, Raubkunst-Kunstraub (see note 3), pp. 52-55.
[9] Today, Van Gogh's painting is in the Boymans-van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam. https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05023512.
[10] https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05011543. In return for the painting by De Witte, however, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum had to sell the portraits “St. John the Evangelist” by Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia (formerly WRM inv. no. 727), “Christ on the Cross with Mary and John”, Tuscany around 1400 (?) (formerly WRM inv. no. 746) and “Calvary/Crucifixion of Christ” by Jakob Cornelisz (formerly WRM inv. no. 476) to the art dealer de Boer. Wallarf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, museum’s archive, inventory book inv. no. 2620; https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05090154; https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05023753; https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05018655.
[11] Nancy H. Yeide, Beyond the Dreams of Avarice. The Hermann Goering Collection, Dallas 2009, NR. A65, p. 240, ill. p. 38; Anna Maria Sigmund, Die Frauen der Nazis, Munich 2001, p. 100f.; Wallarf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, museum’s archive, object record file, WRM inv. no. 3207.
The acquisition of the beaker occurred at a time when the city of Cologne was striving to establish a national and international reputation for its museums. In December 1937, the city appointed the experienced art historian Dr Adolf Feulner (1884–1945) as general director of the decorative arts collections at the Kunstwerbemuseum, the Museum Schnütgen, and the Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst. Feulner subsequently attempted to enhance the collections through targeted acquisitions, but initially lacked the necessary financial resources [3].
The magnificent Renaissance beaker was intended for this purpose and was brought to the Kunstgewerbemuseum on 15 February 1938 by the Munich art dealers Julius Böhler and Theodor Fischer for inspection and possible purchase. However, in view of the high price, the financial viability of the purchase was probably in doubt [4]. This was soon to prove irrelevant when the object became part of a politically motivated barter deal.
This deal originated from the Nazi authorities' efforts in Cologne to win over the influential Prussian Minister President, Hermann Göring (1893–1946), with valuable gifts. In early summer 1938, Cologne presented Göring with the painting 'Mary with the Child' by Lucas Cranach the Elder (WRM Inv. No. 3207) to celebrate the birth and christening of his daughter Edda on 2 June 1938. The painting was purchased for 000 RM from Theodor Fischer and financed from the representative fund of Lord Mayor Dr Karl Georg Schmidt (1904–1940) [5], but the required payment of 4,000 pounds could not be made due to the lack of a foreign exchange permit. As the painting had already been given to Göring as a gift, a solution had to be found that would cause as little fuss as possible. In July 1938, the city of Cologne offered the Swiss art dealer the opportunity to select paintings of equal value from the Wallraf-Richartz Museum (WRM) instead of paying in cash. Initially, he chose the painting Sacra Conversazione by Benozzo Gozzoli (formerly WRM Inv. No. 0500), but an export licence could not be obtained for the work, which was considered an important cultural asset. The next choice was “Rider on the Beach” by Paul Gauguin (formerly WRM Inv. No. 1202), but this painting had already been confiscated as 'degenerate' and sold [6]. Fischer then complained to Feulner and threatened to call in Hermann Göring if the Lord Mayor of Cologne did not comply [7]. An agreement was finally reached in August 1938 whereby Fischer would hand over the painting 'Portrait of Armand Roulin' by Vincent van Gogh in exchange for works of art worth 1,600 pounds [8]. On 1 March 1940, the painting 'Interior of a Church' by Emanuel de Witte (inv. no. 2620) [9] came to the WRM from the possession of the Amsterdam art dealer Paul de Boer for 1,600 pounds. Finally, the cup, worth 16,000 RM, came to the Kunstgewerbemuseum for good.
However, this is not the end of the story of this complex exchange. The Cranach painting, which had brought the Häufebecher to the Kunstgewerbemuseum, was moved to Bavaria by Göring at the end of the Second World War, along with much of his art collection. It arrived at the Central Collecting Point in Munich via Berchtesgaden on 1 August 1945. On 20 April 1949, the American military government placed the painting in the trusteeship of the Bavarian Minister President, Hans Ehard (1887–1980). That same year, the City of Cologne brought a damages claim against the art dealer Theodor Fischer before the Cologne Regional Court, based on threats under Section 123 of the German Civil Code (BGB). This claim was ultimately dismissed. Further lawsuits followed to establish the ownership of the Cranach painting. More than 20 years later, the Supreme Court classified the City of Cologne's gift to Hermann Göring as excessive and immoral. On 23 July 1968, the painting by Lucas Cranach was finally returned to the WRM in the immediate vicinity of the Renaissance chalice [10].
(Authorship: Marcus Leifeld, Britta Olényi von Husen, Karl Tobias Friedrich, Nuray Amrhein)
[1] Karl Tobias Friedrich, Stephanie Dietz, Nuray Amrhein, Ein Deckelgefäß mit Darstellungen der Planetengötter im Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln. An example of universal Renaissance art technology?, in: Theresa Wittig, Ulrike Weinhold (eds.), Farbfassungen der Renaissance. Dresden State Art Collections, Dresden 2020.
[2] MAKK, house archive, inv. no. G 1073.
[3] Westdeutscher Beobachter of March 8, 1938, Morgen-Ausg. Cf. on Feulner: Sebastian Farnung, Kulturpolitik im Dritten Reich am Beispiel Frankfurter Museen (Studien zur Frankfurter Geschichte; Bd. 63), Frankfurt am Main 2016, pp. 103-105.
[4] MAKK, house archive, folder “Zugangsblätter”, LG 103; cf. also: Otto v. Falke, Aus dem Jamnitzerkreis, in: Pantheon, vol. XIX, January-June 1937, p. 60.
[5] Cf. also the following: Thomas Buomberger, Raubkunst- Kunstraub. Die Schweiz und der Handel mit gestohlenen Kulturgütern zur Zeit des Zweiten Weltkrieges, Zurich 1998, pp. 52-55.
[6] https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05017046.
[7] Cf. Buomberger, Raubkunst- Kunstraub (see note 5), pp. 52-55.
[8] Today, Van Gogh's painting is in the Boymans-van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam. https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05023512.
[9] https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05011543. In return for the painting by De Witte, however, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum had to sell the portraits “St. John the Evangelist” by Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia (formerly WRM inv. no. 727), “Christ on the Cross with Mary and John”, Tuscany around 1400 (?) (formerly WRM inv. no. 746) and “Calvary/Crucifixion of Christ” by Jakob Cornelisz (formerly WRM inv. no. 476) to the art dealer de Boer. WRM, archive, inventory book inv. no. 2620; https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05090154; https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05023753; https://www.kulturelles-erbe-koeln.de/documents/obj/05018655.
[10] Nancy H. Yeide, Beyond the Dreams of Avarice. The Hermann Goering Collection, Dallas 2009, NR. A65, p. 240, ill. p. 38; Anna Maria Sigmund, Die Frauen der Nazis, Munich 2001, p. 100f.; WRM, archive, picture file WRM inv. no. 3207.