History

Bruno Lohse—Art Dealer of the Third Reich

Javier Abel Miguel 28 April 2025 min Read

In 2007, the Zurich prosecutor’s office opened vault number 5 of the Zürcher Kantonalbank. But something felt off; the vault was huge, more like a closet than a safe deposit box. What they found inside, though, was beyond anything they expected: a haul of looted paintings, hidden away for decades. These masterpieces traced back to a man who once held the keys to the Nazis’ stolen treasures, the art dealer who plundered Europe for Hermann Göring, Bruno Lohse.

Summary

  • Bruno Lohse had an ordinary upbringing and academic path. After joining the SS, he was later transferred to the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce (ERR) due to his expertise in art history.
  • The ERR organized the largest systematic art theft in history—targeting both public and private collections in the occupied territories.
  • Hermann Göring turned art looting into a personal obsession. He appointed Lohse as his trusted agent to acquire masterpieces for his private collection.
  • Lohse roamed galleries and private collections, including those belonging to Jews who had been deported to death camps. He also pressured art dealers to provide him with desired artworks.
  • After the war, Lohse was arrested but avoided prosecution by cooperating with the Allies, later returning to the art market with impunity.
  • In 2007, Swiss authorities uncovered a secret vault containing looted Impressionist paintings, revealing Lohse’s decades-long involvement in the black market for Nazi art.
  • While some artworks have been returned, many remain missing or hidden in private hands, despite efforts by individuals like Rose Valland, who risked everything to document the thefts.

From Art Dealer to Plunderer

Bruno Lohse had an ordinary childhood in a typical German family. His father, August, played in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. His mother and siblings gave him a stable, quiet childhood. No one imagined he would help lead the largest art looting campaign in history. After completing his schooling, he began studying art history, philosophy, and German studies in 1930. In 1933, he spent four months in France improving his language skills, an experience that would later prove invaluable. But that same year, amid the rising tide of the Nazi regime, he made a decision that would shape his destiny: like many other young Germans drawn in by the promises of the Third Reich, he joined the SS.

Bruno Lohse: Bruno Lohse wearing the SS uniform. Lootedart.com.

Bruno Lohse wearing the SS uniform. Lootedart.com.

In 1936, he earned a doctorate in art history and took his first steps into the art market. He ran the business from his father’s apartment, buying and selling artworks. However, his career was abruptly put on hold with the outbreak of World War II. Drafted in 1939, Lohse began his military service as a driver in a medical unit during the invasion of Poland. Later, he was transferred to an anti-tank unit in East Prussia. But his true role in the war would not be played on the battlefield. In 1941, his expertise in art secured him a very different assignment, he was transferred to the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce (Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg or ERR).

Art Theft on an Unprecedented Scale

The Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce was the Nazi unit that seized cultural property during World War II. Alfred Rosenberg, the Nazi Party’s chief ideologue, led the ERR from the NSDAP Office of Foreign Affairs. The ERR activities quickly became one of history’s most systematic and large-scale art theft operations.

Bruno Lohse: ERR depot of Neuschwanstein, German Federal Archives, Koblenz, Germany. Cultural Plunder by the ERR.

ERR depot of Neuschwanstein, German Federal Archives, Koblenz, Germany. Cultural Plunder by the ERR.

Before the war, Paris led the global art market and attracted wealthy collectors from France, Europe, and the U.S. Jewish art dealers like the Wildensteins, Bernheims, and Paul Rosenberg shaped the market and set artistic trends. They curated prestigious collections and gained major influence. Their prominence made them prime targets for Nazi looting.

The ERR set up its base in Paris in July 1940. By October, it had begun large-scale confiscations across the city. At first, it targeted books, archives, and artifacts from Jewish families like the Rothschilds and Veil-Picards. Soon, the mission expanded beyond Jewish collections. The ERR began looting major artworks from museums, galleries, and private homes, regardless of their owner’s heritage. The scale of the theft was staggering, and within months, the confiscation of artworks became the ERR’s top priority.

Bruno Lohse: Photograph of the Martyr’s Room, taken at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris, 1940. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

Photograph of the Martyr’s Room, taken at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris, 1940. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

In November 1940, Adolf Hitler issued a direct order: all confiscated works of art were to be transported to Germany and placed at his personal disposal. To facilitate this, the Nazis turned the Jeu de Paume gallery into a processing hub. There, art historians, experts, and administrators cataloged, photographed, and packed each piece for shipment to Germany. The ERR staff compiled detailed photo albums, nearly 100 volumes in total, so that Hitler could select masterpieces for the Führermuseum in Linz, Austria.

However, not all stolen artworks was destined for Germany. Pieces labeled as “degenerate art” (Entartete Kunst), officially banned, were set aside in the Martyr’s Room. Many of these works were later sold through intermediaries like Hildebrand Gurlitt to fund both the war effort and Hitler’s ambitious museum project. What the Nazis could not sell, they destroyed.

Bruno Lohse: Commemorative plate on the wall of the Jeu de Paume, Paris, France. Photograph by TCY via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Commemorative plate on the wall of the Jeu de Paume, Paris, France. Photograph by TCY via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Between April 1941 and July 1944, the ERR estimated that 1,418,000 railway wagons filled with books and artworks were transported to Germany. This entire operation of plunder was carried out with “industrial efficiency.” The Nazis were not only the most systematic mass murderers in history, they were also history’s greatest thieves.

A Fateful Encounter

Driven by his megalomania and his desire to fashion himself as a Renaissance prince, Hermann Göring transformed his hunting lodge in the north of Berlin into a grand country estate, Waldhof Carinhall. At its heart, he had a 34-meter-long Grand Gallery built, an opulent hall designed to showcase the most valuable pieces of his personal art collection. The war and the systematic confiscation of artworks across occupied Europe provided Göring with the perfect opportunity to expand his collection at little to no cost.

Bruno Lohse: The reception hall of Carinhall, Hermann Göring’s residence, decorated with tapestries and priceless works of art. ParisMatch.

The reception hall of Carinhall, Hermann Göring’s residence, decorated with tapestries and priceless works of art. ParisMatch.

Between 1941 and 1944, Göring visited the Jeu de Paume at least twenty times. The Parisian museum became his private shopping ground. By the end of the war, Göring’s collection boasted 1,375 paintings, along with an extensive array of sculptures, tapestries, furniture, and other cultural treasures. Reflecting the Third Reich’s artistic ideology, his personal collection placed special emphasis on the Northern European schools, particularly 17th-century Dutch and Flemish masters.

Bruno Lohse: Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler admire a painting looted from a conquered territory. World Jewish Congress.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler admire a painting looted from a conquered territory. World Jewish Congress.

It was during one of Göring’s visits to the Jeu de Paume that he first crossed paths with Bruno Lohse. Tasked with guiding the Reichsmarschall through an exhibition of looted paintings, Lohse seized the opportunity to impress him with his extensive knowledge of 17th-century Dutch painting. Göring, always eager to surround himself with experts who could enhance his prestige, was intrigued. He invited Lohse to a private meeting, an invitation that would change Lohse’s fate.

Göring’s Man in Paris

Recognizing the young art historian’s expertise and ambition, Göring quickly promoted him within his personal art network. Lohse became one of Göring’s trusted scouts, responsible for locating and securing masterpieces from France. His position granted him significant influence, and he soon became Göring’s designated art dealer, overseeing acquisitions in the occupied Western territories. With Göring’s backing, Lohse enjoyed an extraordinary level of privilege. Unlike most Nazi officials in Paris, he was permitted to wear civilian clothing, had his own private apartment and a car. From 1941 until July 1944, he operated primarily in Paris, working tirelessly to fulfill Göring’s artistic ambitions.

Bruno Lohse: Bruno Lohse, second from right, leads Hermann Göring, center, on a tour of seized artworks. Lootedart.com.

Bruno Lohse, second from right, leads Hermann Göring, center, on a tour of seized artworks. Lootedart.com.

Bruno Lohse’s mission to secure the finest artworks for Hermann Göring was relentless. He roamed galleries, auction houses, and private collections. But his most chilling acquisitions were made in Jewish apartments following recent arrests; the residents were then sent to Drancy and eventually deported to Auschwitz. Lohse arrived minutes after they had been evicted, stepping over the traces of their existence to sift through their possessions, searching for art worthy of his patron.

Bruno Lohse: Göring, in the center, Lohse is second from right. The New York Times.

Göring, in the center, Lohse is second from right. The New York Times.

When Lohse acquired artworks for Göring on the French and international art markets, the funds often came from a special Luftwaffe account in Paris. However, he also had another method: bartering stolen art. Lohse arranged “degenerate” paintings to be exchanged on the art market as payment for pieces more aligned with Nazi tastes. He orchestrated numerous transactions where looted works served as currency for acquiring masterpieces for Göring’s collection. His methods were not ethical or transparent. Just as Göring extorted those who worked under him, Lohse did not hesitate to use threats and coercion to secure deals. Art dealers who resisted his offers found themselves under increasing pressure. Sellers often had little choice. If they refused, they risked far worse consequences than financial loss.

Bruno Lohse: Göring’s notebook, found in 1945, records his findings. It is annotated by his secretaries. Photograph by Kasia Wandycz/Paris Match.

Göring’s notebook, found in 1945, records his findings. It is annotated by his secretaries. Photograph by Kasia Wandycz/Paris Match.

Lohse also worked closely with Jewish art dealers who, desperate to survive, were forced into uneasy collaborations. Among them were the Loebl brothers, well-established figures in the Parisian art trade. Allen Loebl, the owner of a respected gallery, became a key intermediary, introducing Lohse to the inner workings of the Parisian art market.

Lohse’s effectiveness in looting France’s artistic heritage did not go unnoticed. In 1942, for his “services” in art theft, he was promoted to the rank of SS-Obersturmführer in Paris. That same year, on May 1, Lohse, along with other key members of the ERR, was awarded the War Merit Cross, Second Class—an honor bestowed not for battlefield valor but for his role in the industrial-scale plunder of Europe’s cultural treasures.

An Unpunished Crime

By August 1944, as Allied forces closed in on Paris, Bruno Lohse was still actively serving in the ERR. When Paris fell, Allied troops searched his abandoned apartment and the ERR offices. They uncovered crucial documents proving the Nazi plundering operation, but Lohse had vanished. His freedom ended quickly. On May 2, 1945, American forces captured him near Neuschwanstein Castle.

Unlike many high-ranking Nazis, he never faced true justice. Instead of prosecution for his role in art looting, Lohse became a valuable asset to the Allies. He cooperated with American and French authorities, helping to recover stolen masterpieces. His assistance in exposing Nazi art theft worked in his favor. In 1950, a French military court tried him, but his collaboration secured an acquittal. Despite his deep involvement in cultural plundering, Lohse walked free.

Bruno Lohse: U.S. Army soldiers discover a painting by Édouard Manet, In the Conservatory (1878–1879), in the Merkers salt mine in Thuringia, 1945, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, USA. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

U.S. Army soldiers discover a painting by Édouard Manet, In the Conservatory (1878–1879), in the Merkers salt mine in Thuringia, 1945, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, USA. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

After the trial, he settled in Munich. Like other Nazi-linked dealers, he continued his profession with impunity. Operating in Germany and Switzerland, he remained influential in the art market, his crimes largely forgotten. Bruno Lohse passed away in Munich on March 19, 2007, at the age of 95. His fortune included an extensive private art collection worth millions. His estate lawyer, Willy Hermann Burger, stated Lohse explicitly forbade public exhibition of his collection. In his will, he carefully distributed his collection of 17th-century Dutch masterpieces and Expressionist paintings among close friends and family.

The Secret Vault

More than six decades after World War II, a lost masterpiece resurfaced in an unexpected place—a Swiss bank vault. Inside safe no. 5 of the Zurich Cantonal Bank, authorities found Le Quai Malaquais, Printemps by Camille Pissarro. The painting had once decorated German publisher Samuel Fischer’s villa before his family fled Nazi Germany. Like many Jewish families, the Fischers lost everything when the Gestapo seized their belongings. In 1940, the Dorotheum auction house in Vienna sold their art collection, which remained lost for decades.

Bruno Lohse: Camille Pisarro, Le Quai Malaquais et l’institut, Printemps, 1903, private collection. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

Camille Pisarro, Le Quai Malaquais et l’institut, Printemps, 1903, private collection. Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

In 2007, historian Jonathan Petropoulos contacted Gisela Fischer, Samuel Fischer’s granddaughter, claiming he had found the missing Pissarro. He arranged a Zurich meeting, where he and Munich art dealer Peter Griebert showed her digital photos as proof. But they demanded an 18% commission on the painting’s value for its return. Fischer’s lawyer, Norbert Kückelmann, rejected the demand as extortion and alerted the Munich prosecutor’s office.

Investigators soon uncovered a shocking truth: Bruno Lohse had controlled the paintings. Documents revealed that in 1978, he created Schönart Anstalt, a Liechtenstein-based trust, to secretly store and sell looted artwork. Between 1983 and 2004, Lohse hid at least 14 paintings in the Zurich vault, selling them through unknown auction houses and galleries. Griebert, his sole representative since 1988, accessed the safe at least 20 times between 2003 and 2007.

Bruno Lohse: Jonathan Petropoulos and Bruno Lohse when they met in 1998. The New York Times

Jonathan Petropoulos and Bruno Lohse when they met in 1998. The New York Times

In June 2007, Swiss prosecutor Ivo Hoppler opened the vault and discovered three Impressionist masterpieces: Monet’s Vue de Vétheuil, l’hiver, Renoir’s La Baie du Moulin Huet à travers les arbres, Guernsey, and Pissarro’s Le Quai Malaquais, Printemps. But these paintings had surfaced before. In 1984, they appeared at the Fondation de l’Hermitage exhibit L’Impressionnisme dans les Collections Romandes, attributed only to a vague “Swiss private collection”.

Lohse had kept his secret collection hidden for decades, operating in the shadows of the post-war art world. Even in death, he ensured his legacy remained untouchable, until a single Zurich safe deposit box exposed the full extent of his deception.

French Heroine

While some looted artworks have returned to Nazi victims’ families, many remain missing or tied up in legal battles. For years, Jewish families struggled to reclaim stolen art. When they finally tried, they faced resistance from governments, reluctance from museums, and refusals from private collectors. Greed played a major role as these masterpieces were worth millions, and many refused to return them despite legitimate claims.

Bruno Lohse: Photograph of Rose Valland, Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation à Grenoble, Grenoble, France. FranceInfo.

Photograph of Rose Valland, Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation à Grenoble, Grenoble, France. FranceInfo.

Rose Valland (1898–1980), curator of the Jeu de Paume Museum, played a key role in preserving France’s stolen artistic heritage. The Nazis used the museum as a hub for processing and shipping looted art, but Valland risked her life to document their operations. She secretly recorded each artwork’s origin, destination, and the Nazi officials involved. For four years, she compiled hundreds of files, salvaging information from discarded paperwork and eavesdropping on Nazi conversations. Her meticulous records not only guided post-war recovery efforts but also aided the French Resistance. By tracking train movements carrying stolen art, she helped resistance fighters avoid targeting those convoys, preventing further destruction of Europe’s cultural heritage.

Hidden Truths

Despite Rose Valland’s efforts, restituting Nazi-looted art remains a challenge. Bruno Lohse likely took many secrets to his grave. Though he didn’t leave behind his entire “treasure,” Lohse’s collection discovery was a turning point. It marked the first major recovery of Nazi-stolen masterpieces from a private hoard and pressured Swiss banks to confront their secrecy. For years, financial institutions ignored the origins of assets hidden in their vaults. Cases like this may finally force them to reveal long-buried truths.

For those exploring Nazi art theft and Lohse’s role, the PBS documentary Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief examines his crimes. Featuring interviews with Lohse, art historians, investigators, and victims’ descendants, the film exposes the art market’s dark ties to wartime looting.

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