Person
Hans Posse
Hans Posse
- Alternative Names
- Prof Dr Hans Posse; Dr. Hans Posse
- Life dates
- 1879 - 1942
- Occupation
- art historian
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.
Sources:
Kommentierte Online-Edition der fünf Reisetagebücher Hans Posses 1939-1942 (Germanisches Nationalmuseum); see specifically: https://editionhansposse.gnm.de/person/PosseHans; https://editionhansposse.gnm.de/wisski/navigate/9244/view; https://editionhansposse.gnm.de/wisski/navigate/9239/view. Accessed 17 June 2021.
Kirchmayer, Birgit.“Hans Posse.” Lexikon der Österreichischen Provenienzforschung, 2019. https://www.lexikon-provenienzforschung.org/posse-hans. Accessed 14 June 2021.
Lupfer, Gilbert (ed.). _Kennerschaft zwischen Macht und Moral. Annäherungen an Hans Posse (1879-1942). Cologne: _Böhlau, 2015.
M1782-OSS Art Looting Investigation Reports, 1945-46. Consolidated Interrogation Reports (CIR). Report 4: Linz: Hitler's Museum And Library. https://www.fold3.com/image/232002310. Accessed 14 June 2021.