Silk‑ribbon manufacturer in Kreuzberg
Hugo Loewy was born on 20 March 1862 in Czarnikau in West Prussia (Czarnków). In 1900, he took over a factory producing silk ribbons, located at Kommandantenstraße 77 in Berlin‑Kreuzberg. Among others, he regularly supplied the funeral home Grieneisen with ribbons.
Hugo Loewy and his family lived in a spacious four‑room flat at Pommersche Straße 5. The flat in Berlin‑Wilmersdorf was elegantly furnished. The Loewy family also owned several oil paintings. The Loewy family also owned several oil paintings.
After the death of his wife Louise in 1930 and the departure of the children Käthe and Fritz, Hugo Loewy lived alone in the flat.
Only very few traces of Loewy remain; most of them are found in his OFP(Senior Finance President) Until 1937, Landesfinanzämter (regional finance offices). OFPs were the highest regional authorities responsible for the Reich’s financial administration. From the end of 1941, they were tasked with planning and carrying out the theft of property from deported Jews. More file.
After the war, his daughter‑in‑law recalled Loewy’s possessions:
He had two or even three valuable complete porcelain services for twenty-four persons […]. In one room there was a genuine very large Persian carpet […]. In another room (the gentleman’s room) he had his library, and very fine leather furniture with a sofa and armchairs, a Persian rug in front of the desk, and another Persian rug.
Sylvia Loewy‑Garai, daughter‑in‑law, WGA proceedings, 6 November 1953. Landesarchiv Berlin, B Rep. 025-08 no. 4119/51, fol. 7
Disenfranchisement, persecution, deportation
Hugo Loewy first lost his ribbon factory, which was liquidated in 1937, as a result of antisemitic persecution measures. At the end of May 1942, he was forced to leave his flat in Pommersche Straße and move into a partially furnished room in the “Jüdischen Pension(Jewish boarding house) Boarding houses whose owners were persecuted as Jews under National Socialism. More” (Jewish boarding house(Jewish boarding house) Boarding houses whose owners were persecuted as Jews under National Socialism. More) run by Else Isaac at Kurfürstendamm 195. Else Isaac herself was also persecuted as a Jewish woman. Loewy took several items from his old flat with him to the “Pension” (boarding house), including some artworks.
Loewy lived at Kurfürstendamm for only a few months. On 31 August 1942, he was ordered by the Geheime Staatspolizei(EN) Politische Polizei in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus, die politische Gegner*innen sowie Jüdinnen*Juden überwachte und verfolgte. Berlin (Berlin Secret State Police, Gestapo(EN) Politische Polizei in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus, die politische Gegner*innen sowie Jüdinnen*Juden überwachte und verfolgte.) to report to the Sammellager(collection camp) In the context of the National Socialist regime: places where Jews were crammed together before deportation. More Große Hamburger Straße 26 and complete a Vermögenserklärung(declaration of assets) Before their deportation he persecuted persons had to provide information about their assets located in Germany. For this purpose, the tax authorities developed a multi-page form that had to be filled out in advance. More (declaration of assets).
The few belongings Loewy had taken with him to the “Pension” were duly recorded in the Vermögenserklärung(declaration of assets) Before their deportation he persecuted persons had to provide information about their assets located in Germany. For this purpose, the tax authorities developed a multi-page form that had to be filled out in advance. More (declaration of assets) in pencil. The artworks among them he summarised as “7 div. Bilder” (seven misc. pictures).
In the Vermögenserklärung(declaration of assets) Before their deportation he persecuted persons had to provide information about their assets located in Germany. For this purpose, the tax authorities developed a multi-page form that had to be filled out in advance. More Hugo Loewy left his last trace of life with his signatureIn the context of art and art history: the artist’s signature or initials on a work of art. More. In the pre‑printed document, he entered not only his name but also the compulsory nameBeginning 1 January 1939, Jewish women and men were forced to adopt the additional first names Sara and Israel, respectively. More Israel.
Hugo Loewy’s entire property had previously been confiscatedBy confiscating assets, government officials initially deprived owners of the authority to dispose of their bank accounts, household furnishings, securities, etc., which were placed under state administration. More on 1 August 1942 on the basis of an Einziehungsverfügung (confiscationBy confiscating assets, government officials initially deprived owners of the authority to dispose of their bank accounts, household furnishings, securities, etc., which were placed under state administration. More order) issued by the authorities.
On 1 September 1942, Loewy received the delivery certificate for the confiscationBy confiscating assets, government officials initially deprived owners of the authority to dispose of their bank accounts, household furnishings, securities, etc., which were placed under state administration. More of his property in the Sammellager(collection camp) In the context of the National Socialist regime: places where Jews were crammed together before deportation. More in Große Hamburger Straße 26.
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First page of the Vermögenserklärung(declaration of assets) Before their deportation he persecuted persons had to provide information about their assets located in Germany. For this purpose, the tax authorities developed a multi-page form that had to be filled out in advance. More (declaration of assets), handwritten by Hugo Loewy. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 2
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Page of the Vermögenserklärung(declaration of assets) Before their deportation he persecuted persons had to provide information about their assets located in Germany. For this purpose, the tax authorities developed a multi-page form that had to be filled out in advance. More with information on art holdings, handwritten by Hugo Loewy. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 7
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Last page of the Vermögenserklärung(declaration of assets) Before their deportation he persecuted persons had to provide information about their assets located in Germany. For this purpose, the tax authorities developed a multi-page form that had to be filled out in advance. More (declaration of assets) with Hugo Loewy’s signatureIn the context of art and art history: the artist’s signature or initials on a work of art. More. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 9v
Retrospectively issued transport card to TreblinkaTreblinka II was one of the largest extermination camps built by the National Socialists, constructed from May 1942 onwards. More, 20 September 1942. Arolsen Archives, Ghetto TheresienstadtThe Theresienstadt “Altersghetto” (ghetto for the elderly) was established in the old garrison town in what is today Terezín (Czech Republic) as the largest concentration camp (KZ) in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. More index cards, DocID: 5061748
At the age of eighty, Hugo Loewy was deported to the “AltersghettoThe Theresienstadt “Altersghetto” (ghetto for the elderly) was established in the old garrison town in what is today Terezín (Czech Republic) as the largest concentration camp (KZ) in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. More” (ghetto for elderly people) TheresienstadtThe Theresienstadt “Altersghetto” (ghetto for the elderly) was established in the old garrison town in what is today Terezín (Czech Republic) as the largest concentration camp (KZ) in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. More on 2 September 1942. From there, the National Socialists deported him a few days later to the Treblinka extermination campTreblinka II was one of the largest extermination camps built by the National Socialists, constructed from May 1942 onwards. More. He was murdered there – probably immediately upon arrival.
Family Loewy
Fritz Loewy had been co‑owner of the ribbon factory with his father, Hugo Loewy, and fled with his wife, Sylvia Loewy‑Garai, to Oslo in August 1940. There, he was arrested by the German occupiers. Sylvia Loewy‑Garai was largely protected by her US citizenship. Although she was briefly imprisoned, she survived the detention and escaped to Sweden. Hugo Loewy’s daughter, Käthe Löwenstein, had also escaped persecution through flight: in 1938 she had married the physician Dr Hans Löwenstein and emigrated with him to the United States.
Loewy’s art in the files of the OFP
With the confiscationBy confiscating assets, government officials initially deprived owners of the authority to dispose of their bank accounts, household furnishings, securities, etc., which were placed under state administration. More of Hugo Loewy’s property, the clearing of his flat and, finally, the seizure of the items he had brought with him to the “Pension”, the National Socialist state appropriated all his belongings. On behalf of the OFP(Senior Finance President) Until 1937, Landesfinanzämter (regional finance offices). OFPs were the highest regional authorities responsible for the Reich’s financial administration. From the end of 1941, they were tasked with planning and carrying out the theft of property from deported Jews. More, the Vermögensverwertungsstelle (Asset Realisation Office) eventually sold parts of his property for the benefit of the Reich treasury. The remainder was “liquidated” by the Hauptwirtschaftsamt(Main Economic Office, Berlin) From the end of 1942, it had privileged access to the expropriated property of deported Berlin Jews. More (Main Economic Office(Main Economic Office, Berlin) From the end of 1942, it had privileged access to the expropriated property of deported Berlin Jews. More).
Before this “liquidation”, the property was examined and valued. Two different experts were involved:
1. Shortly after Loewy’s deportationForced removal of people by state authorities from their place of residence or origin to another state territory or to remote regions where they are detained. More, on 27 October 1942, the senior bailiff Beck examined the contents of Loewy’s room in the “Pension” on behalf of the Vermögensverwertungsstelle and estimated their value. Among the artworks, which according to Loewy’s last statement comprised seven pictures, Beck singled out four works. He valued them at a total of 3,300 reichsmarks:
Valuation list by Senior Bailiff Beck, 2 November 1942. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 25
After the Vermögensverwertungsstelle became aware of valuable artworks, it commissioned an art expert to carry out a further valuation. The appointed expert, Ludwig Schmidt‑Bangel, included only the three most valuable paintings in his assessment and gave slightly different titles.
Expert report by Ludwig Schmidt‑Bangel, 5 December 1942. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 27
Schmidt‑Bangel valued the paintings by Skarbina and Pohle slightly lower than Senior Bailiff Beck. In total, he estimated the value of the paintings at 2,750 reichsmarks and submitted this appraisal to the Vermögensverwertungsstelle.
All three artists had been academically trained, and their works hang in various museums across Europe.
Franz Skarbina
The Berlin painter Franz Skarbina (1849–1910) created numerous Impressionist works depicting scenes of everyday and urban life. With the painting Durchgang in der Fischergasse Berlin, he offered a glimpse into Fischerstraße in the old district of Cölln, where the fishing trade had been based since the Middle Ages.
Hermann Emil Pohle
The oeuvre of the painter Hermann Emil Pohle (1863–1914) consists primarily of history painting and landscape painting, a style that likely also characterised the Einsamer Reiter.
Bertram Priestman
Bertram Priestman’s (1868–1951) work can likewise be situated within the tradition of Romantic‑Impressionist landscape painting. Comparable paintings by the artist depict the Schottische Landschaft in both Romantic and Flemish traditions.
Disappeared into private ownership
On the basis of Schmidt‑Bangel’s appraisal, the Vermögensverwertungsstelle decided to “verwerten” (liquidate) two of the paintings through direct sale. No public auction took place.
A receipt dated 28 December 1942 documents the sale of the painting by H. E. Pohle – referred to in the appraisals as “‘Einsamer Reiter’ or ‘Reiter in Landschaft’” (solitary rider, rider in landscape) – at the higher valuation of 550 reichsmarks to SS‑Obersturmführer Johannes Schertl. Schertl had already acquired a carpet and an open bookcase from Loewy’s property.
Johannes Schertl used his privileged position as an SS‑Obersturmführer to profit from Jewish property stolen by the state.
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Receipt for the sale of oil painting no. 37 to Johannes Schertl, SS‑Obersturmführer, 28 December 1942. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 30 -
Receipt for the sale of oil painting no. 37 to Johannes Schertl, SS‑Obersturmführer, 28 December 1942. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 30v
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Receipt for the sale of the oil painting by Bertram Priestman to business consultant Ludwig Malzbender, 17 December 1942. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 35 -
Receipt for the sale of the oil painting by Bertram Priestman to business consultant Ludwig Malzbender, 17 December 1942. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 35v -
Power of attorney issued by Ludwig Malzbender for his wife, Käthe Malzbender, 15 December 1942. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 24446, fol. 36
The painting Schottische Landschaft/Landschaft mit Flusslauf und bewaldetem Ufer (Scottish Landscape/Landscape with River Course and Wooded Bank) was purchased by Käthe Malzbender, the wife of the auditor Ludwig Malzbender. She paid the price of 1,800 reichsmarks using a power of attorney issued to her by her husband. Ludwig Malzbender was in close contact with the Vermögensverwertungsstelle; in its files he appears as an appraiser and administrator of assets.
Both paintings thus passed directly into the private ownership of individuals who profited directly from the National Socialist system and built their careers within it. After entering their possession, the trail of the paintings disappeared. Whether the works remained with the buyers’ families or were sold on cannot be reconstructed on the basis of the files of the Vermögensverwertungsstelle.
The National Socialist state obtained a total of 2,350 reichsmarks from the sale of the two paintings by Pohle and Priestman from Loewy’s property.
Lost trace of the paintings
There are no further indications in the file regarding the whereabouts of the Rembrandt copy or the painting Durchgang in der Fischergasse Berlin (Passageway in Fischergasse, Berlin) by Franz Skarbina. No sale is documented for either work.
The two paintings had initially remained in the “Pension” of Else Isaac. After Isaac was also deported, the entire household contents located in her rooms were valued and sold as a single lotDirectory containing detailed information on objects or lots offered at an auction. More by the Hauptwirtschaftsamt(Main Economic Office, Berlin) From the end of 1942, it had privileged access to the expropriated property of deported Berlin Jews. More (Main Economic Office(Main Economic Office, Berlin) From the end of 1942, it had privileged access to the expropriated property of deported Berlin Jews. More) on 3 February 1943. According to the inventory, this lotDirectory containing detailed information on objects or lots offered at an auction. More also included paintings. However, no further information is available, and thus the trail of the two works is lost.
All artworks taken from Hugo Loewy on the basis of National Socialist laws passed into private ownership or into the retail trade via the Reich financial administration. In the course of research into the individual artworks, no current location in a public institution could be identified for any of them. In some cases, the available information is too sparse and insufficiently specific to allow for a clear identification of the works.
You can find out whether the search for the objects was successful in the chapter on Responsibility.
