“How Art Looting Remains Profitable: Insights from *Plunderer*”
# **Plundered Art: The Ongoing Story of Nazi Looting and Its Aftermath**
The looting of art during World War II remains one of the most significant acts of cultural theft in modern history. However, the newly released documentary *Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief* sheds new light on how many perpetrators of this crime continued operating in the art market long after the war ended. The film, directed by Hugo Macgregor, follows the notorious Nazi art dealer Bruno Lohse and uncovers the long-lasting effects of Nazi looting on museums, private collections, and the global art trade.
## **The Systematic Theft of Art During WWII**
During the Nazi occupation of Europe, a specialized group known as the *Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg* (ERR) plundered thousands of artworks from Jewish collectors, museums, and galleries. Directed by Bruno Lohse, the ERR was one of the Third Reich’s most aggressive looting forces, targeting masterworks from renowned Jewish-owned collections.
Lohse quickly became a right-hand man to Hermann Göring, one of Hitler’s closest allies, and helped amass an impressive collection of looted art for Göring’s personal enjoyment. As the documentary reveals, Lohse wasn’t just complicit in art theft—he actively facilitated the deportation of Jewish art dealers and collectors to Nazi concentration camps. His legacy, however, extends far beyond the war.
## **The Post-War Art Trade and the Whitewashing of Nazi Dealers**
After World War II, the efforts of the Monuments Men, a group of Allied soldiers tasked with recovering looted art, were instrumental in the restitution process. However, as the documentary points out, they were deceived in many ways. Many former Nazi art looters, including Lohse, managed to reestablish themselves in the post-war art market despite their involvement in crimes against humanity.
Notably, Lohse escaped severe punishment. Though he was investigated by the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS), he was never fully held accountable for his actions and continued working in the underground art trade for decades. He remained in close contact with art world elites, including major museum officials and collectors, proving that the injustices of Nazi art looting didn’t end with the war.
## **The Role of Historians in Uncovering the Truth**
One of the documentary’s central figures is historian Jonathan Petropoulos, author of *Göring’s Man in Paris*. Petropoulos became entangled in one of Lohse’s post-war schemes while attempting to recover a looted painting known as the “Fischer Pissarro.” His experiences highlight how the art world continues to grapple with the consequences of Nazi looting and the difficulty of navigating its opaque dealings.
Despite extensive efforts over the past several decades, countless looted artworks remain missing, and many more sit in private collections and prestigious museums, where their true origins are often obscured. Provenance researchers like Emmanuelle Polack are working tirelessly to track down these works and bring justice to the families from whom they were stolen.
## **The Lingering Shadow of Nazi-Looted Art**
What *Plunderer* makes clear is that WWII-era looting was not an isolated crime relegated to history. Decades after the war, Nazi-looted artwork continues to surface in the modern art market, often through secretive dealings and hidden transactions.
The documentary raises serious ethical questions about the responsibility of museums, collectors, and governments in returning stolen artwork to its rightful owners. As provenance expert Marc Masurovsky states in the film, “The crime of plunder pays for itself… If I’m going to recommend any crime against humanity, it’s the crime of plunder.”
## **A Call for Transparency and Justice**
The revelations in *Plunderer* serve as a reminder that real accountability in the art world is still lacking. Museums and collectors must take greater responsibility by conducting thorough provenance research and ensuring that stolen artworks are returned to the descendants of their rightful owners.
This documentary urges art institutions and the public to recognize that the history of wartime looting is not just a past issue—it is an ongoing struggle for justice. Without strict regulation, accountability, and ethical responsibility in the art market, the legacy of Nazi plundering will continue to cast its dark shadow over art history.
### *Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief* is available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.