Telegram from Erhard Göpel to Martin Bormann regarding the Schloss collection, 1943-04-26 (document)

Aware that Dr. Voss was unreachable until 6 May 1943, Dr. Erhard Göpel took it upon himself to inform Martin Bormann directly about the fate of the Schloss collection. After years of fruitless searching, the Schloss collection had finally been found at the Chateau de Chambon, in Laguenne (Corrèze). He alleged that the ERR in Paris had assisted in the transfer of the collection from Chambon to Paris. He also pointed out that the French police, after being notified of the transfer, had intercepted the trucks carrying the collection and the near confrontation between French gendarmes and German security police (SD). Laval and Pétain intervened to avoid any clashes and the collection was stored “in a bank at Limoges” on orders of the SD with the cooperation of Lefranc who had come down from Paris for this purpose. Dr. Göpel alluded to the French government request that the collection be returned to Chambon, in an effort to remove German oversight. He described the collection as “the most important collection of Old Masters” (6 Rembrandts, masterpieces by Rubens, van Dyk [misspelled as von Lyk], Jan Steen, Pieter de Hooch, to name a few) whose reputation extended around the world and would be a fine addition to the Linz project. Göpel’s proposal included the following: -draft an agreement between the French government and the Linz museum regarding its acquisition -transfer of the collection under joint French-German protection, and an inventory should be drawn up immediately. -appraisal by two experts, one German and one French bound by total secrecy. -payment: owing to the current situation, it might be wiser to envisage payment in Germany and to be performed in kind using works by modern Masters and those considered to be degenerate from Jewish collections confiscated in occupied France. -once payment is made, the collection would be transferred to Germany. -avoid any delays incurred by seeking expert opinions, resorting to a multiplicity of specialists, etc. Dr. Göpel observed that the “Jews Schloss” had been arrested for “Gaullist activities” by German agents operating in Italian-occupied French territory and were being held in Lyon, details that came directly from Bruno Lohse and the SD.