Franz Koenigs
Encyclopedia
Franz Wilhelm Koenigs was a Dutch banker and art collector.
Koenigs was born as German citizen but obtained later the Dutch nationality.
In 1941 he fell from a train platform at Cologne station in front of a train and died. At present descendants believe that the Nazis murdered him by throwing him under a train.
He collected an impressive number of drawings, known as the Koenigs collection. Due to the depression he came into financial problems and pawned the art collection, under the condition that it should be exhibited in the museum Boymans. In 1939 the Jewish owners of the bank liquidated the bank and at that moment Koenigs was not able to pay back the loan, subsequently the bank sold the collection to the owner of the museum Van Beuningen.
In January 1941 Van Beuningen sold the whole collection to Hans Posse, who acted for the Führermuseum
in Linz
. During the war, the Allies decided with the Joint Declaration that all transactions between the occupied countries and the German occupier would be invalid, and that all art should be returned.
Soviet troops looted the art collection after the war and transported it to the Soviet Union. The Soviet authorities denied for a long time that they had the art collection. However, in the nineties, it became clear that Soviet troops had looted the art collection. The major part of the collection was exhibited in the Pushkin Museum
in Moscow and a minor part in Kiev
. Honoring the request of the Dutch government, the Ukrainian authorities returned the part of the collection that was in Kiev. More than 300 drawings from the same collection were traced to Moscow 10 years ago, but Russia has so far refused to hand them back.
Koenigs was born as German citizen but obtained later the Dutch nationality.
In 1941 he fell from a train platform at Cologne station in front of a train and died. At present descendants believe that the Nazis murdered him by throwing him under a train.
He collected an impressive number of drawings, known as the Koenigs collection. Due to the depression he came into financial problems and pawned the art collection, under the condition that it should be exhibited in the museum Boymans. In 1939 the Jewish owners of the bank liquidated the bank and at that moment Koenigs was not able to pay back the loan, subsequently the bank sold the collection to the owner of the museum Van Beuningen.
In January 1941 Van Beuningen sold the whole collection to Hans Posse, who acted for the Führermuseum
Führermuseum
The Führermuseum was an unrealized museum complex planned by Adolf Hitler for the Austrian city of Linz to display the collection of art plundered or purchased by the Nazis throughout Europe during World War II.-Design:...
in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
. During the war, the Allies decided with the Joint Declaration that all transactions between the occupied countries and the German occupier would be invalid, and that all art should be returned.
Soviet troops looted the art collection after the war and transported it to the Soviet Union. The Soviet authorities denied for a long time that they had the art collection. However, in the nineties, it became clear that Soviet troops had looted the art collection. The major part of the collection was exhibited in the Pushkin Museum
Pushkin Museum
The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is the largest museum of European art in Moscow, located in Volkhonka street, just opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour....
in Moscow and a minor part in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. Honoring the request of the Dutch government, the Ukrainian authorities returned the part of the collection that was in Kiev. More than 300 drawings from the same collection were traced to Moscow 10 years ago, but Russia has so far refused to hand them back.