61340 Vorabseiten_e - Unabhängige Expertenkommission Schweiz

An analytical and descriptive examination of individual cases may reveal under
what conditions specific types of transactions occurred in the art market. Using
these individual cases, it is possible to reconstruct «the market» or – if we wish
to emphasise the transit dimension – Switzerland’s role as a «hub» in the
transfer of art. The documented cases are cited primarily as examples. The aim
is to suggest possibilities, not to present or, indeed, directly evaluate the cases
per se. There is a legitimate need on the part of the interested public for some
indication of quantities. We therefore also offer quantified assessments
whenever possible. However, it must be emphasised that the reality can only be
expressed and conveyed in figures to a limited extent.
The primary actors: dealers and collectors
In many cases, no clear distinction can be drawn between dealers and collectors, as
dealers also collected, and collectors also dealt in art. Fiduciaries acting on behalf
of third parties were a separate category, as were banks keeping artefacts in safe
custody or in some cases sold them on commission. The operators of duty-free
storage facilities did not constitute a separate category as they merely provided the
infrastructure for the other actors. A special (and particularly well documented)
category was the state museums: they purchased and collected art, but also
accepted deposits and acted as agents for third parties in exceptional cases.
It is impossible to make generalised statements about the various categories of
actors, especially as not only their role, but also their individual attitudes were
decisive. Standards of professional practice and conduct in art dealing were
generally objective in that they focussed solely on the object in question, i.e.,
on the available artefact and its position in the market. Unlike what is assumed
today, there was rarely any discussion of the seller’s predicament as a basis for
negotiation. Thus, rather the outcome than the intention of this conduct
entailed either a concession or a rebuff to persecuted persons. So far, historians
have focussed much of their attention on the Lucerne art dealer and galleryowner
Theodor Fischer. Despite our original willingness to reappraise and
strongly downplay what appears to be a personalised over-emphasis on a
prominent individual case, we must conclude that Theodor Fischer actually
played an even more central role than previously assumed. More than 90% of
Swiss acquisitions by the «Führermuseum» in Linz came from Galerie Fischer,
i.e., 148 paintings and drawings with a total value of 569,545 francs. The
majority of works were originally Jewish-owned. Of the 76 paintings and
drawings, tapestries, items of furniture and sculptures acquired by the Goering
collection via Swiss art dealers, Fischer arranged the transactions in 36 cases.
Fischer therefore also played an equally important role for owners seeking to sell
their property as a result of persecution.
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