Gottfried Reimer

Hermann Arthur Gottfried Reimer was born and died in Döbeln. On 1 June 1941, Posse hired Reimer, with whom he had worked since 1939, as his assistant for the _Sonderauftrag Linz. On 20 October 1941, Reimer gained full authority to act as Posse’s deputy. After Posse’s death in December 1942, Martin Bormann authorized _Reimer on 25 January 1943 to act as the _Sonderauftrag’s _interim director until Voss’ appointment on 15 March 1943. In his position, Reimer was responsible for selecting, purchasing, and recording works of art. On 16 June 1943, Göpel informed Reimer personally about the Schloss Collection and the ongoing negotiations between Schleier and President Laval and urged Reimer to make monies available to the account of the _Sonderauftrag Linz for the eventual purchase of the collection. Throughout the acquisition of the Schloss Collection, Göpel and Reimer kept each other informed. Since 1944, Reimer directed the evacuation and storage of art treasures in the Altaussee salt mine. After the war, Reimer continued his work as an art expert and monument conservator and successfully concealed his involvement with the Sonderauftrag Linz, even during his arrest by the Soviet Military Administration. By the 1980s, attention focused on Reimer’s involvement once again when the German Democratic Republic’s Ministry of State Security started investigating the whereabouts of the Amber Room.   Literature: Art Looting Investigation Unit, Final Report, p. 66. [about:blank Karin Muller-Kelwing], [about:blank Gilbert Lupfer], Zwischen Kunst, Wissenschaft Und Politik: Die Staatlichen Sammlungen Fur Kunst Und Wissenschaft in Dresden Und Ihre Mitarbeiter Im Nationalsozialismus, Böhlau 2020. Birgit Schwarz, Hitlers Museum. Die Fotoalben Gemäldegalerie Linz: Dokumente zum “Führermuseum_”, Böhlau 2004. Kathrin Iselt, ”Sonderbeauftragter des Führers” der Kunsthistoriker und Museumsmann Hermann Voss (1884-1969), [about:blank Böhlau] 2010.