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DOI Artikel:Zadrożny, Tadeusz: Okiem Freya i Grundmanna: o wystawie Kunstwerke und Kunstdenkmäler im ehemaligen Polen otwartej w październiku 1939 roku =
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.35032#0550
540
TADEUSZ ZADROŻNY
the wartime theft of which, no/u has yet to be
solved, while the attribution of the images of the
apostles in the apse to Hans Dürer, the younger
brother of Albrecht, but this might also be practised in
reference to the results of earlier research relating to
this valuable object, with the genesis of the abbey
church's architecture and forms of its portal,
contradicting any kind of German influence
whatsoever. It is, on account of this issue, appropriate
to acknowledge that the choice of photographs was to
some sort of extent also dictated by the wish to
polemicise with Polish authors, and, what is more, this
testified to a good and constantly updated knowledge
of Polish literature in the field of art history; as well as
a sensitive reaction to then current events (e.g. of
works on the uncovering of the moat and bridge of the
former New Town Gate in Warsaw in 1938).
The exhibition was accompanied by the interest
of the press, discussing in particular not only the
works of art and architecture displayed in the
photographs but also referring to the lecture
delivered by prof. Frey on the following Sunday, 5th
November 1939. It was already clear that a great task
awaited this superb specialist in architectural and art
works of former Poland: a review of the damage
inflicted during the September campaign and
programme for saving historic monuments, which it
was necessary to put into practice. Important steps
were taken; maps indicating the distribution of
historic monuments in Poland and their detailed
description worked on in the Institute of Art History
of Breslau University under the direction of prof
Frey had already been made available to the
government and armed forces. With the beginning
of November 1939 Frey was actually summoned by
the ^e/c/is'w/nAter/nm /u'r IH's'.sc/rs'(7? <;///, ETz/u/umg
un<7 fb/Cy/A/Aung, in order that he take up the
responsibilities in Cracow relating to the
conservation of historic monuments and art works
under wartime conditions. He believed he was going
to head the right kind of office for assigning tasks
relating to the preservation of historic monuments in
the territories assigned to his office. AH that awaited
him, however, was disappointment. He had to
confirm with unpleasant surprise that the
plenipotentiary for matters concerning historic
monuments in the G^/iero/ Gouvernement had
already been ordained, and all executive as well as
organisational powers in the conservationist and
museum services in the Genem/ Gouvernement had
been given to dr. Kajetan Mühlmann, a person
completely unknown to Frey, alien to the academic
milieus, inactive up to that point in both the work of
conservation offices as well as the functioning of
museums. It might be declared that this 'man from
nowhere' had been chosen instead of him, Dagobert
Frey. The situation of subordination and dependence
on decisions by someone else; i.e. someone for
whom it was even difficult to value for his expertise,
the necessity to strive for good will and intervention
in the authorities must have pained Frey. Finally, on
16th December 1939 the general-governor, Hans
Frank, issued a command regulating particular
matters directly in relation to artistic collections
within the Genem/ Gouvernement, and 'for carrying
out tasks of social usefulness' practically all works
of art were rendered subject the decisions of Kajetan
Mühlmann, Special Plenipotentiary for matters of
Inventorying and Safeguarding Works of Art and
Historic Monuments of Culture. The issuing of this
act of law, and what is more, the delivering of full
authority over historic monuments and works of art
in the Genem/ Gonvememen/ into the hands of dr
Mühlmann roused in Frey a sense of indignation. He
tendered his resignation and returned to Breslau. His
place was taken over by somebody who must have
been of lesser ambition and individual drive: dr.
Werner Kudlich, director of a museum in Opava
(then Troppau).
In the history of the exhibition held in Breslau at
the end of October and in November 1939 too many
coincidences appear in time with the contem-
poraneous events and endeavours of Frey to achieve
an opportunity to gain control over the historic
monuments in Poland that it might be nad'vely judged
its (the exhibition's) aim was an updated presentation
of the effects of academic expeditions undertaken
with an aim to searching out the material history of
developed culture of German colonisers in the East.
Frey from the outset treated the exhibition
instrumentally, he wanted to draw attention to his
exceptional competence for the organising of
a system of conservation over the historic
monuments in Poland so that he would be counted in
the game at that time; when the army leadership
would take the decision to call into being a structure
for administering historic monuments and works of
art. The thought of acquiring real power and the
somewhat anachronistic dreams to which he was to
confess after some years, submitting a clarification
before the representatives of the American
occupying authorities in Germany, revolved around
the establishing of an office for the preservation of
historic monuments in the territory of a defeated
country, enlivened by the legend of Paul Clemen and
Cornelius Gurlitt, vanished into thin air, 'cos of the
reception of works of art gained during the course of
the war and their uncompromising possession, as
a result of which they began to solicit the role of big-
timers in the highest echelons of the Nazi power
structure.
7lYm.s7<fUćY/ Av ?/?e cr/ùzwy
TADEUSZ ZADROŻNY
the wartime theft of which, no/u has yet to be
solved, while the attribution of the images of the
apostles in the apse to Hans Dürer, the younger
brother of Albrecht, but this might also be practised in
reference to the results of earlier research relating to
this valuable object, with the genesis of the abbey
church's architecture and forms of its portal,
contradicting any kind of German influence
whatsoever. It is, on account of this issue, appropriate
to acknowledge that the choice of photographs was to
some sort of extent also dictated by the wish to
polemicise with Polish authors, and, what is more, this
testified to a good and constantly updated knowledge
of Polish literature in the field of art history; as well as
a sensitive reaction to then current events (e.g. of
works on the uncovering of the moat and bridge of the
former New Town Gate in Warsaw in 1938).
The exhibition was accompanied by the interest
of the press, discussing in particular not only the
works of art and architecture displayed in the
photographs but also referring to the lecture
delivered by prof. Frey on the following Sunday, 5th
November 1939. It was already clear that a great task
awaited this superb specialist in architectural and art
works of former Poland: a review of the damage
inflicted during the September campaign and
programme for saving historic monuments, which it
was necessary to put into practice. Important steps
were taken; maps indicating the distribution of
historic monuments in Poland and their detailed
description worked on in the Institute of Art History
of Breslau University under the direction of prof
Frey had already been made available to the
government and armed forces. With the beginning
of November 1939 Frey was actually summoned by
the ^e/c/is'w/nAter/nm /u'r IH's'.sc/rs'(7? <;///, ETz/u/umg
un<7 fb/Cy/A/Aung, in order that he take up the
responsibilities in Cracow relating to the
conservation of historic monuments and art works
under wartime conditions. He believed he was going
to head the right kind of office for assigning tasks
relating to the preservation of historic monuments in
the territories assigned to his office. AH that awaited
him, however, was disappointment. He had to
confirm with unpleasant surprise that the
plenipotentiary for matters concerning historic
monuments in the G^/iero/ Gouvernement had
already been ordained, and all executive as well as
organisational powers in the conservationist and
museum services in the Genem/ Gouvernement had
been given to dr. Kajetan Mühlmann, a person
completely unknown to Frey, alien to the academic
milieus, inactive up to that point in both the work of
conservation offices as well as the functioning of
museums. It might be declared that this 'man from
nowhere' had been chosen instead of him, Dagobert
Frey. The situation of subordination and dependence
on decisions by someone else; i.e. someone for
whom it was even difficult to value for his expertise,
the necessity to strive for good will and intervention
in the authorities must have pained Frey. Finally, on
16th December 1939 the general-governor, Hans
Frank, issued a command regulating particular
matters directly in relation to artistic collections
within the Genem/ Gouvernement, and 'for carrying
out tasks of social usefulness' practically all works
of art were rendered subject the decisions of Kajetan
Mühlmann, Special Plenipotentiary for matters of
Inventorying and Safeguarding Works of Art and
Historic Monuments of Culture. The issuing of this
act of law, and what is more, the delivering of full
authority over historic monuments and works of art
in the Genem/ Gonvememen/ into the hands of dr
Mühlmann roused in Frey a sense of indignation. He
tendered his resignation and returned to Breslau. His
place was taken over by somebody who must have
been of lesser ambition and individual drive: dr.
Werner Kudlich, director of a museum in Opava
(then Troppau).
In the history of the exhibition held in Breslau at
the end of October and in November 1939 too many
coincidences appear in time with the contem-
poraneous events and endeavours of Frey to achieve
an opportunity to gain control over the historic
monuments in Poland that it might be nad'vely judged
its (the exhibition's) aim was an updated presentation
of the effects of academic expeditions undertaken
with an aim to searching out the material history of
developed culture of German colonisers in the East.
Frey from the outset treated the exhibition
instrumentally, he wanted to draw attention to his
exceptional competence for the organising of
a system of conservation over the historic
monuments in Poland so that he would be counted in
the game at that time; when the army leadership
would take the decision to call into being a structure
for administering historic monuments and works of
art. The thought of acquiring real power and the
somewhat anachronistic dreams to which he was to
confess after some years, submitting a clarification
before the representatives of the American
occupying authorities in Germany, revolved around
the establishing of an office for the preservation of
historic monuments in the territory of a defeated
country, enlivened by the legend of Paul Clemen and
Cornelius Gurlitt, vanished into thin air, 'cos of the
reception of works of art gained during the course of
the war and their uncompromising possession, as
a result of which they began to solicit the role of big-
timers in the highest echelons of the Nazi power
structure.
7lYm.s7<fUćY/ Av ?/?e cr/ùzwy