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Plunder and Survival

Stories of Theft, Loss, Recovery, and Migration of Nazi Uprooted Art
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Brief Description
Written by a Holocaust survivor whose family collected art, Plunder and Survival tells the stories of principal figures, events, and artworks that contribute to the intricate story of the ruthless Nazi attack on modern art and the art world's subsequent repositioning in America. Each chapter focuses... Read More
Format: Hardback
$5500
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The complex and riveting stories of art uprooted during World War II and recovered through the efforts of a host of colorful, courageous, and dedicated champions.

The complex and riveting stories of art uprooted during World War II and recovered through the efforts of a host of colorful, courageous, and dedicated champions.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Written by a Holocaust survivor whose family collected art, Plunder and Survival tells the stories of principal figures, events, and artworks that contribute to the intricate story of the ruthless Nazi attack on modern art and the art world's subsequent repositioning in America.

Each chapter focuses on a selection of artworks, the individuals who owned or acquired them, and those who decided their fate. Since the book spotlights Hitler's crusade against "degenerate" art, readers will encounter many Expressionist works, but they will also find old masters stolen by the Nazis and later restituted.

The author has also added a personal element to the text, incorporating autobiographical anecdotes on relatives' special relationships to art, their voyage from Germany to America, and the fate of their collections.

Illustrations appear throughout the book, and following the main text, two appendices offer a listing of 100 Nazi-stolen artworks currently housed in U.S. museums and capsule biographies of people discussed in the book.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781538194225

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 25 December 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield

Illustration: 25 full-colour illustrations, 2 tables

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 256.0mm

Weight: 760g

Pages: 240

About the Author

Suzanne Loebl is the author of fourteen books, most recently America’s Medicis: The Rockefellers and Their Astonishing Cultural Legacy. She was born into an art-collecting family in Germany and escaped the Nazis as a teenager by hiding in Belgium. Her other books include America’s Art Museums: A Traveler's Guide to Great Collections Large and Small and a memoir on her experience during World War II, At the Mercy of Strangers: Growing Up on the Edge of the Holocaust. In 2012, Loebl received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She splits her time between New York and Maine.


Abigail Wilentz has developed books on art, design, photography, fashion, lifestyle, and other topics as an editor at Universe Publishing, a division of Rizzoli International Publications, at Watson-Guptill Publications, and independently with agents and authors. She has written several books commissioned by publishers and directed a custom publishing line for the luxury fashion brand Brioni. She lives in Manhattan with her husband.

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