Hans Posse

Hans Posse was born in Dresden. He was a German art historian, museum curator, and, for more than three years – from 26 June 1939 until his death – Adolf Hitler’s special representative for the Sonderauftrag Linz. He acquired more than 2,500 objects for Hitler’s Führermuseum project in Linz, Austria. Hermann Voss succeeded Posse after his death. Posse’s early interest in the Schloss Collection is reflected by two diary entries: The first, from October 1940, provided detailed information on Schloss’ gallery and apartment followed by the note “Gefordert 40 Mill. fr. (im unbesetzten Gebiet)” [requested 40 million francs; in the unoccupied zone]. According to this entry, Adolphe Schloss’ heirs offered Posse to sell the collection for 40 million francs. The sale, however, never materialized. The second diary entry simply referred to the Schloss Collection without providing any further details.

Literature: [about:blank Kommentierte Online-Edition der fünf Reisetagebücher Hans Posses (1939-1942] (Germanisches Nationalmuseum); see specifically: [about:blank https://editionhansposse.gnm.de/person/PosseHans]; [about:blank https://editionhansposse.gnm.de/wisski/navigate/9244/view]; [about:blank https://editionhansposse.gnm.de/wisski/navigate/9239/view] Birgit Kirchmayer, “Hans Posse,” Lexikon der Österreichischen Provenienzforschung, 2019 (https://www.lexikon-provenienzforschung.org/posse-hans) Gilbert Lupfer (ed.), Kennerschaft zwischen Macht und Moral. Annäherungen an Hans Posse (1879-1942), Böhlau 2015. M1782- [about:blank OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit Reports, 1945-46] Consolidated Interrogation Reports (CIR), Report 4: Linz: Hitler’s Museum And Library [[about:blank https://www.fold3.com/image/232002310]]