Paul Jakob Eisner - »Besitzen Sie Gemälde,...?«

Black‑and‑white photograph of a man in a suit and tie on a veranda. He sits in a relaxed posture on a chair and looks into the camera. Behind him are trees and a table laid with cutlery — Portrait of Paul Jakob Eisner, c. 1925. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/441/69, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky

Hand‑coloured photograph of two children in white clothing. The child on the left is older than the child on the right. Both look past the camera — Paul and Rudolf Eisner, c. 1889

The Eisner Family

Paul Jakob Eisner was the son of the Kommerzienrat Heinrich Eisner, chair of the Jewish Community of Berlin and co‑owner of the Albert‑Hahn‑Röhrenwalzwerke (Hahnsche Werke), and Olga Eisner, née Tarlau.

Black‑and‑white photograph of two people in elegant clothing in an interior. A woman is seated and a man stands beside her; both look into the camera. A blurred interior can be seen in the background. — Portrait of Heinrich Eisner with his wife Olga on their silver wedding anniversary, Atelier H. Kindler, Berlin, 1910. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/441/65, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky

Heinrich and Olga Eisner lived with their children in the Tiergarten district and belonged to a neighbourhood known at the time for its affinity with the arts. Among its residents were the writers Julie and Julius Elias, the art collector Oscar Huldschinsky, and the art dealer Paul Cassirer. Over the years, the Eisner family lived at various addresses in the district, including in Matthäikirchstraße. Until the death of Olga Eisner in 1910, the family lived in a spacious flat at Bellevuestraße 14. The flat was furnished with valuable furniture, works of art, and carpets. Both sons, Paul Jakob and Rudolf, joined the Hahnsche Werke company. Paul Jakob Eisner worked as a board member and managing director of the Hahnsche Werke joint‑stock company. In 1922 he married Louise Odescalchi.

Black‑and‑white aerial photograph. At the centre is a street intersection with trees, busy with many people and cars. Seven streets lead off from this intersection — Aerial view: Potsdamer Platz with Potsdamer Straße and Bellevuestraße, summer 1919. Collection of the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin © HANSA Luftbild AG

Black‑and‑white photograph of a richly furnished salon. Paintings in gilded frames hang on the wall. On the left edge of the image, an open door reveals the adjoining room — Salon of the flat at Bellevuestraße 14, Berlin, c. 1910. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/441/71, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky

Black‑and‑white photograph looking through an open double door into a dining room. Through the doorway, a dining table is visible. A large wall tapestry hangs on the wall behind it — Dining room and living room at Bellevuestraße 14, Berlin, c. 1910. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/441/73, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky

Front of an old postcard with three black‑and‑white photographs. The two images on the left show close‑ups of a house surrounded by trees. The third image on the right shows a lake with trees. Below it reads: Alt‑Stahnsdorf bei Kummersdorf, Kr. Storckow i. Mark. Next to the image, something is written by hand — Alt‑Stahnsdorf manor estate on a postcard to Hilde Eisner in Bad Reichenhall, Alt‑Stahnsdorf, 4 August 1921; Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/443/589, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky. Digitisation funded by the bequest of the Adler‑Salomon family, Siemens AG, the Berthold Leibinger Foundation, and Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

Black‑and‑white photograph of an interior. In the centre of the image is an open door giving a view into another room, which is only faintly visible. The wall of the front room is painted. The painting shows a lake or pond with birds flying above it — Frescoes by Emil Pottner in the garden room of the Alt‑Stahnsdorf manor estate, c. 1928–1929. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/441/114, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky

The Eisner family were part of Berlin’s cultural and social life and regularly hosted receptions at their manor estate in Alt‑Stahnsdorf, which they had owned since 1906. Numerous entries in a guestbook attest to the regular visits of acquaintances and friends, including the painter Emil Pottner. Works of his also decorated the walls of one of the rooms in the house. After the death of Heinrich Eisner in 1918, his daughter Berta took over the estate.

Front view of a guestbook. Written on it in gold lettering is “Alt‑Stahnsdorf, 1906.” The guestbook is dark green and decorated with flowers and ribbons — Front view of the guestbook of Olga Eisner, Alt‑Stahnsdorf, 1906–1938. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/443/107, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky. Digitisation funded by the bequest of the Adler‑Salomon family, Siemens AG, the Berthold Leibinger Foundation, and Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

Die Abbildung gibt die erste Seite eines Gästebuchs wieder, auf der etwas in Handschrift geschrieben ist. Um den Text herum findet sich eine Buntstiftzeichnung, die rechts verschiedenfarbige Hühner, links Enten zeigt. Über dem Text ist ein weißes Haus gezeichnet, das von Bäumen und Sträuchern umgeben ist.

First page of the guestbook of Olga Eisner, Alt‑Stahnsdorf, 1906–1938. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/443/107, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky. Digitisation funded by the bequest of the Adler‑Salomon family, Siemens AG, the Berthold Leibinger Foundation, and Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

Handschriftliche Eintragung in einem Gästebuch

Entry by Emil Pottner from 1929 in the guestbook of Olga Eisner, Alt‑Stahnsdorf, 1906–1938. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/443/107, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky. Digitisation funded by the bequest of the Adler‑Salomon family, Siemens AG, the Berthold Leibinger Foundation, and Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA

Not far from his parents’ home, Paul Jakob Eisner lived with his wife from 1927 onwards at Große Querallee 2. This was his last place of residence in Berlin. The nine‑room flat was on the ground floor and was generously furnished

Black‑and‑white photograph of a four‑storey residential building with an elaborately designed façade featuring various architectural elements. A metal fence is visible in front of the building — Residential buildings in Große Querallee in the Tiergarten, nos. 1 and 2. Berlin und seine Bauten, 1896 edition, vol. 2/3 Der Hochbau, p. 227

Architectural drawing of the ground floor with nine rooms — Extract from an architectural drawing of the house at Große Querallee 2 from 1886. Landesarchiv Berlin, B Rep. 202 no. 5105A

Every piece of furniture was a museum piece! […] The rooms were partly lined with precious silk fabrics. […] The bathroom was clad with mirrors all around. Valuable originals (portraits and paintings) adorned the rooms. The rooms were entirely carpeted with heavy velour, and on top of it lay the most valuable genuine carpets. One of them was a gift from the International Tube Association.
AffidavitLegally binding statement regarding a matter of fact. More by Caroline Langkammerer dated 28 February 1963. She worked as household and childcare help for Heinrich and Olga Eisner. Landesarchiv Berlin, B Rep. 025-08 Nr. 1954/51, fol. 166

Persecution and the turmoil of flight

The lives of the Eisner family changed abruptly when the National Socialists came to power in 1933 – Paul Jakob Eisner and his siblings were now persecuted as Jewish.

In 1937, Paul Jakob Eisner fled to Prague and from there to Vienna. After the “Anschluss” of Austria to National Socialist Germany, he returned to Prague. In the same year, the Mannesmann Group appropriated the Hahn Works company in the course of the “Aryanisation(Aryanisation/Aryanised) The term “Arisierung” refers to the systematic expropriation of Jewish people. More”, forcing the Eisner family out of the business. In addition, Louise divorced Paul Jakob, with antisemitic and discriminatory motives playing a role. While Eisner was on business in Paris, Czechoslovakia was annexed, preventing him from returning to Prague. In this desperate situation, Eisner decided to flee to Argentina.

Paul Jakob Eisner’s siblings also had to flee. His brother Rudolf Eisner emigrated to England with his family in 1938, and his sister Berta Sabersky to the United States. The Sabersky couple had already been forced to sell the manor estate in Alt‑Stahnsdorf under duress in 1936.

“Verwertung” of removal goods

The furnishings and personal belongings of Paul Jakob Eisner that were still in Berlin were stored as removal goods by his secretary with the haulage company Gustav Knauer in Berlin. In December 1939, the Gestapo(EN) Politische Polizei in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus, die politische Gegner*innen sowie Jüdinnen*Juden überwachte und verfolgte. in Berlin 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 them there and informed the Moabit-West Tax Office.

On 26 June 1940, the Deutscher Reichsanzeiger(Reich Gazette) Official press organ of the German Reich, published between November 1918 and April 1945. More (German Reich gazette) published the announcement that Paul Jakob Eisner had lost his German citizenship under the Law on the Revocation of Naturalisations and the Deprivation of German Citizenship. The Finanzamt Moabit‑West then began the full “Verwertung“Verwertung” (liquidation) refers to all measures taken by the Reich financial administration to transfer stolen assets to the state treasury and, if necessary, convert material goods into cash. More” (liquidation) of the 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 assets. On 4 March 1941, the removal goods stored with the haulage company Gustav Knauer were brought to the auction rooms of the Finanzamt Moabit‑West at Kottbusser Ufer 39/40. There, the expert Ludwig Schmidt‑Bangel carried out the valuation before Senior Tax Secretary Paul Korge auctioned the objects. This auction took place on 2 April 1941. It comprised 354 lots, including works of art. A buyer was found for each lotDirectory containing detailed information on objects or lots offered at an auction. More.

Storage receipt from Gustav Knauer from April 1939. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094, fol. 22
Letter from the Gestapo(EN) Politische Polizei in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus, die politische Gegner*innen sowie Jüdinnen*Juden überwachte und verfolgte., 8 December 1939. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094, fol. 2
Letter from the Gestapo(EN) Politische Polizei in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus, die politische Gegner*innen sowie Jüdinnen*Juden überwachte und verfolgte., 8 December 1939. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094, fol. 2v
Denaturalisation notice, 26 June 1940. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094, fol. 16
First page of the auction record by Senior Tax Secretary Paul Korge, Kottbusser Ufer 39/40, 2 April 1941. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094/3, fol. 75

Artworks for the Auction at Hans W. Lange

As was customary in the valuation reports prepared up to that point, Schmidt‑Bangel signed the formal statement “dass hochwertiges Kulturgut sowie wertvolle Kunstschätze nicht enthalten sind” (that high‑quality cultural property and valuable art treasures are not included). Here, however, he added a handwritten note:

Vorgedrucktes Formular, handschriftlich ausgefüllt und mit einer handschriftlichen Notiz ergänzt

Expert report by Ludwig Schmidt‑Bangel, 25 March 1941. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094/3, fol. 71

Vorgedrucktes Formular, maschinenschriftlich ausgefüllt, mit handschriftlichen Ergänzungen

Expert report by Ludwig Schmidt‑Bangel, 26 March 1941. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094/1, fol. 64

Extract from the auction record by Senior Tax Secretary Paul Korge, Kottbusser Ufer 39/40, 2 April 1941. Fol. 53 and reverse of the auction record. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094/3, fol. 53
Extract from the auction record by Senior Tax Secretary Paul Korge, Kottbusser Ufer 39/40, 2 April 1941. Fol. 53 and reverse of the auction record. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094/3, fol. 53v

Schmidt‑Bangel prepared a special expert report on four paintings by Hans Thoma, Oswald Achenbach, José Gallegos, and Ludwig Adam Kunz, estimating their value at a total of 37,500 reichsmarks.

His decision to classify the paintings as “hochwertiges Kulturgut” (high‑quality cultural property) meant that they were excluded from the general auction at Kottbusser Ufer.

The paintings that had been exempted, as well as high‑quality pieces of furniture and a carpet, had previously been transported on 26 March 1941 by the haulage company Fritz Roth from Kottbusser Ufer to the auction rooms of Hans W. Lange. Lange carried out a new valuation of the objects.

List of objects handed over to Hans W. Lange, 26 March 1941. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 694, fol. 42
Valuation by Hans W. Lange, 26 March 1941. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 694, fol. 41

As a result of a valuation report, several items from Paul Jakob Eisner’s removal goods were therefore not included in the general auction, among them four paintings. However, only three of the four works went under the hammer at the Hans W. Lange auction house on 19 May 1941. This is evidenced both by an auction statement sent by Hans W. Lange to the Finanzamt Moabit‑West and by the auction catalogueDirectory containing detailed information on objects or lots offered at an auction. More. When comparing these two sources, however, it becomes apparent that one of the lot numbersDirectory containing detailed information on objects or lots offered at an auction. More is missing on the statement issued by Hans W. Lange on 20 May 1941.

Image of a page from an auction catalogue listing five lots — Extract from the auction catalogue of Hans W. Lange with lot 44. From Hans W. Lange (ed.), Paintings by Old and Modern Masters: From Various Ownerships; auction on 19 May 1941 – Berlin, 1941

Document containing an account statement in which various lots are listed, each with the proceeds noted — Auction statement by Hans W. Lange, 20 May 1941. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094/1, fol. 103

"Gefilde der Seligen" for the Reichskanzlei

Lot number 44 – the painting "Gefilde der Seligen" by Hans Thoma – is missing from the statement. The file kept on Paul Jakob Eisner by the Finanzamt Moabit-West provides information on the subsequent whereabouts of the painting.

Front cover of a magazine: at the top, the word “JUGEND” (youth) in large letters; below it, a colour reproduction of a painting showing figures by a lake with a boat on it, trees in the background — The painting "Gefilde der Seligen" by Hans Thoma on the cover of the magazine Jugend: Münchner illustrierte Wochenschrift für Kunst und Leben – issue 39, 1934

Note with directive for a reply to the Reichskanzlei (Reich Chancellery Berlin), Personal Adjutancy of the Führer, 27 May 1941. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094/1, fol. 114
Deposit slip for 30,000 reichsmarks, Delbrück Schickler & Co, 13 June 1941. BLHA, Rep. 36A (II) no. 8094/1, fol. 162

The painting was not auctioned by Hans W. Lange but attracted the interest of the Reichskanzlei (Reich Chancellery) in Berlin. This was recorded by an employee of the Moabit‑West tax office in a note. It states: “Hans Lange teilt mit, daß die Adjutantur des Führers das Bild von Thoma zu erwerben wünscht u. bereits ausgehändigt erhalten hat.” (Hans Lange reports that the Adjutancy of the Führer wishes to acquire the painting by Thoma and has already received it.) How the Reichskanzlei became aware of the painting is not documented in the historical sources – not every conversation was recorded. What we do know: on 27 May 1941, the authority informed the Reichskanzlei that the Thoma painting "Gefilde der Seeligen" [sic] would be transferred to it for 30,000 reichsmarks. Payment to the treasury was made on 13 June 1941 by the bank Delbrück Schickler & Co on behalf of the Reichskanzlei.

Thoma’s painting appears later in connection with the "Sonderauftrag Linz" (Special Commission Linz). Although it is not officially registered in the "Dresdner Katalog"(Dresden Catalogue) Internal directory of the “Sonderauftrags Linz”, in which works of art for the planned “Führermuseum” were documented with photos and object data. More (Dresden catalogue), which compiled the works acquired for the planned museum in Linz, the relevant accounting documents have survived.

After the war, the Treuhandverwaltung von Kulturgut beim Auswärtigen Amt (Trust Administration for Cultural Assets at the Foreign Office, TVK) included Thoma’s work in an alphabetically ordered list, the appendix to the "Dresdner Katalog"(Dresden Catalogue) Internal directory of the “Sonderauftrags Linz”, in which works of art for the planned “Führermuseum” were documented with photos and object data. More, based on these accounting documents.

The artwork itself could not be located after the war. It is still considered missing.

Sheet with typewritten text, annotated with handwritten notes — Inventory “Sonderauftrag Linz“, appendix to the Dresdner Katalog, entry for Thoma’s painting "Gefilde der Seligen". BArch B 323/52, fol. 430 430

Photograph of a wedding couple. Behind them, a large painting in a gilded frame hangs on the wall — Wedding photograph of Berta and Fritz Sabersky in the apartment at Bellevuestraße 14, Atelier Hänse Herrmann, Berlin, 2 December 1913. Jewish Museum Berlin, inv. no. 2016/441/98‑99, donation by Carol and Sandra Sabersky, daughters of Rolf H. Sabersky

Excursus: photographs as an important form of provenanceIn the context of art history: origin of art and cultural assets. More evidence

Photographs from 1913 show Paul Jakob Eisner’s sister, Berta Sabersky née Eisner, as a bride with her groom Fritz Sabersky in the Eisner family’s apartment at Bellevuestraße 14 – and in the background on the wall, Hans Thoma’s painting "Gefilde der Seligen". The wedding photograph gives an impression of the exceptionally large format of the painting. Paul Jakob Eisner presumably inherited it from his parents Heinrich and Olga Eisner.

Such photographs, in which works of art or cultural property can be clearly identified, are a stroke of luck for provenance researchProvenance research (from Latin provenire: to come from) investigates the origin of objects, their changes of ownership, and the paths they have taken..

The journey of a painting (Ludwig Adam Kunz – "Großes Stilleben")

Another painting from the property of Paul Jakob Eisner entered the holdings of the Sonderauftrags Linz, albeit by a different route. The still life by Ludwig Adam Kunz was auctioned at Hans W. Lange on 19 May 1941. The auction catalogueDirectory containing detailed information on objects or lots offered at an auction. More contains a relatively detailed description of the painting: “Großes Stilleben mit Früchten, Kupferschüsseln, einem toten Pfau, Langusten und erlegtem Reiher. Holz. H. 106 cm, Breite 167 cm” (Large still life with fruit, copper bowls, a dead peacock, langoustines and a shot heron. Wood. Height 106 cm, width 167 cm). The work fetched 1,100 reichsmarks, which Hans W. Lange paid into the treasury together with the remainder of the auction proceeds. The available records from Hans W. Lange do not indicate who purchased the painting.

How, then, did it enter the holdings of the "Sonderauftrag Linz"?

You can find out more about the history of the painting after 1945 in the chapter on Responsibility.

Image of a page from an auction catalogue listing six lots — Extract from the auction catalogue of Hans W. Lange with lot 37. Hans W. Lange (ed.), Paintings by Old and Modern Masters: From Various Ownerships; auction on 19 May 1941 – Berlin, 1941