In the decade leading up to 1945, it’s estimated that the Nazis stole one-fifth of all artwork in Europe – the majority from Jewish families and other “undesirables” – in a culture war that was designed to rewrite European history. But that was just the beginning. Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief reveals the secret networks of curators and dealers, many of them Nazis like Bruno Lohse (the “Plunderer”) who made fortunes on the back of Nazi-looted art, perpetuating a decades-long war crime that has never been fully exposed or resolved.
Historian Jonathan Petropoulos investigates the life of former Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse, Hermann Göring’s one-time “man in Paris.” Petropoulos conducted multiple interviews with Lohse over the course of nearly 20 years until the German’s death in 2007. To uncover the truth about the extent of the Nazi-looting operation, and just what role Lohse played, Petropoulos also speaks with gallery owners, curators, art investigators, Lohse’s close friends, and descendants of victims of Nazi art theft. Looking at breathtaking masterpieces and an extensive archive of personal letters, Plunderer reveals the dark underbelly of the international art world, much of it built upon wartime tragedy.
“Nazi art looting was the greatest art scandal of the 20th century,” said Petropoulos, the John V. Croul Professor of European History at Claremont McKenna College. “I had no idea the shocking discoveries this investigation would uncover, nor the tangled mess I was getting myself into.”
“While some of the reveals are thrilling, it’s important to remember that most of the looted art has never been recovered and most of those involved have suffered no consequences,” said producer John S. Friedman. “My hope is that this documentary will spark an interest in helping these families regain their lost pieces, which, for them, mean more than just the art’s monetary value – it also represents a link to their past.”
Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief is directed by Hugo Macgregor and produced by John S. Friedman, Hugo Macgregor and David M. Milch. Based on the book Göring’s Man in Paris by Jonathan Petropoulos, Plunderer is a production of Living Memory Productions in association with The WNET Group, in association with the Dr. David M. Milch Foundation, ARTE, Bayerischer Rundfunk and Taglicht Studios. Secrets of the Dead is a production of The WNET Group, with Stephanie Carter as executive producer and Stephen Segaller as executive in charge.
Major funding for Plunderer was provided by The Knapp Family Foundation, Bruce Robinson through the Harold & Shirley Robinson Foundation, the Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation, Elaine & W. Weldon Wilson, Margaret Marshall, and the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation. Additional funding was provided by The WNET Group’s Exploring Hate Initiative, Claims Conference, Boris Lurie Art Foundation, Dubin Family Foundation, Jewish Story Partners, Lurje Schaina and Josephina Memorial Foundation, Marie and Harley Lippman, and others (a complete list is available below).
Series funding for Secrets of the Dead is provided by public television viewers.