Art Provenance and Claims Records and Research

Descriptive List of Key Records

Munich Central Collecting Point

(a)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records of the Central Collection Point ("Ardelia Hall Collection"), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Administrative Records, 1945-1951. (Entry 514)

Description: This series consists of correspondence, memorandums, and reports relating to the general administration of the central collecting point, personnel, security, art dealers, denazification, building maintenance, and building supplies. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject or by type of record.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 1–13.

(b)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records of the Central Collection Point ("Ardelia Hall Collection"), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Cultural Object Movement and Control Records, 1945-1949. (Entry 515)

Description: This series consists of records documenting the movement and control of cultural objects, including receipts for different types of shipments; correspondence concerning custody of objects; and cultural object control cards. The records contain receipts for weapons of historical value returned to their owners after being held by U.S. military authorities and correspondence and custody statements relating to the Land Central Bank's custody of coin collections in Bavaria. This series is arranged alphabetically by type of record.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 13–34.

(c)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records of the Central Collection Point ("Ardelia Hall Collection"), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Restitution Claim Records, 1945-1947. (Entry 516)

Description: This series consists of correspondence concerning claim cases, indexes to claim cases, and other records relating to claims for the restitution of cultural objects. Most of the records consist of claims case files, which contain records relating to claims made by countries, institutions, or private individuals for the return of objects. This series is arranged in three parts: first, alphabetically by name of country or ethnic group; second, alphabetically by type of record; and third, alphabetically by subject.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 34–70.

(d)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records of the Central Collection Point ("Ardelia Hall Collection"), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Activity Reports and Related Records. (Entry 517)

Description: This series consists of reports of Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF), G-5 Monuments and Fine Arts officers, and U.S. Army detachments to higher headquarters; Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section, Bavaria, annual and semi-annual reports, consolidated field reports, and district summaries; and Munich Central Collecting Point monthly reports and restitution summaries. This series is arranged by type of record and thereunder alphabetically by subject.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 71–77.

(e)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records of the Central Collection Point ("Ardelia Hall Collection"), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Records Relating to the Status of Monuments, Museums, and Archives, 1945-1949. (Entry 518)

Description: This series consists of correspondence, reports, and completed questionnaires that describe the condition of monuments and culturally important structures, the holdings of museums and archives, and the status of cultural organizations and institutions in Bavaria. Diaries of four prominent Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section personnel, Dr. Eberhard Hanfstängl, Dr. Hans K. Röthel, Mr. Andre Kormendi, and Dr. Theodor Müller, are also included. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject or by type of record.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 77–116.

(f)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records of the Central Collection Point ("Ardelia Hall Collection"), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Restitution Research Records, 1933-1950. (Entry 519)

Description: This series consists of originals and photostatic copies of captured German documents relating to German art looting in Europe, reports concerning individuals prominent in the European art world during the war, catalogs of art losses, investigation files for individuals suspected of unauthorized possession or sale of cultural objects, and interrogation reports for persons possessing significant knowledge concerning German actions during the war relating to art. The captured German documents include records relating to the planned "Hitler-Linz" museum; improvement plans for the city of Linz, Austria; Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) correspondence and reports; and the wartime activities of various art firms and individual art dealers involved in art looting. Also among the records is documentation relating to the art looting activities of Hermann Göring, including his correspondence with the original copy of his handwritten instructions on art acquisitions. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 116–152.

(g)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records Concerning the Central Collecting Points (Ardelia Hall Collection), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Records Relating to Munich Central Collecting Point Property Restitutions, 1945-1950. (Entry 520)

Description: This series consists of 5- by 8-inch property control cards that pertain to cultural objects that were looted by Nazi Germany. Each card may list the measurements of the artwork, artwork classification, identifying marks, history and ownership, condition and repair record, central collecting point accession number, date of arrival to the collecting point, and exit date of each cultural object. In some cases, a photograph of the artwork is attached to the card. This series is arranged alphabetically by the name of the country to which objects were returned and thereunder by Munich Central Collecting Point accession numbers. See the appendix below for a listing of artwork classifications.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Roll 153.

(h)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records Concerning the Central Collecting Points (Ardelia Hall Collection), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Records Relating to Munich Central Collecting Point Property Accession, 1945-1949. (Entry 521)

Description: This series consists of 5- by 8-inch property control cards that pertain to cultural objects that were looted by Nazi Germany. Each card may list the measurements of the artwork, artwork classification, identifying marks, history and ownership, condition and repair record, central collecting point accession number, date of arrival to the collecting point, and exit date of each cultural object. In some cases, a photograph of the artwork is attached to the card. See the appendix below for a listing of artwork classifications. This series is arranged numerically by Munich Central Collecting Point accession numbers (1-50052), with gaps.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 154–253.

(i)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records Concerning the Central Collecting Points ("Ardelia Hall Collection"), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Records Relating to Munich Central Collecting Point Property Transfers. 1945-1949. (Entry 522)

Description: This series consists of 5- by 8-inch property control cards that pertain to cultural objects that were looted by Nazi Germany. Each card may list the measurements of the artwork, artwork classification, identifying marks, history and ownership, condition and repair record, central collecting point accession number, date of arrival to the collecting point, and exit date of each cultural object. In some cases, a photograph of the artwork is attached to or loose and filed after the card. This series is arranged by destination of transfer such as to the Minister President, Wiesbaden Central Collecting Point, the High Commissioner of Austria, and the Federal Government. See the appendix below for a listing of artwork classifications.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 253–264.

(j)
Record Group & Series: RG 260, Records of the U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS), Property Division, Records Concerning the Central Collecting Points ("Ardelia Hall Collection"), Records of the Munich Central Collecting Point, Records Relating to the Linz Accession to the Munich Central Collecting Point, 1945-1949. (Entry 523)

Description: This series consists of 5- by 8-inch property control cards that pertain to cultural objects that were looted by Nazi Germany. Each card may list the measurements of the artwork, artwork classification, identifying marks, history and ownership, condition and repair record, central collecting point accession number with site number, date of arrival to the collecting point, and exit date of each cultural object. This series is arranged numerically by Linz accession number (2-3878) with gaps. See the appendix below for a listing of artwork classifications.

This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1946, Rolls 264–266.

Appendix–Artwork Classifications
This is a listing of the artwork classifications used at the Munich Central Collecting Point (MCCP) to catalog works of art that were housed there. The information is captured on several sets of property cards (see A1, Entries 520-523).