Breslau Jewish art collections
Launch of online database and a series of webinars
Event program
The activities aimed at disseminating and updating knowledge about Jewish art collectors in pre-war Breslau (Germany), now Wrocław (Poland), through the creation of an online database and a series of webinars promoting and discussing the database as well as wider themes inspired by this historical chapter. Conducted in collaboration between UMF and an art historian Dr. Magdalena Palica, this initiative builds upon research started over a decade ago within the ‘Silesian Collections’ project. Originally created by Dr. Palica, the database was lost due to lack of funding. Its renewed version not only restores her research but also allows for further expansion beyond its original scope. In the framework of organizing public webinars, UMF has established cooperation with Galicia Jewish Museum in Kraków.
The initiative highlights the uniqueness and global significance of these pre-war collections while addressing the processes of devaluation, confiscation, and sale of artworks under Nazi rule. It also explores current restitution efforts for Jewish movable property in Poland and other EU countries. For decades, these collections remained unknown in Poland (and Wrocław), having fallen victim to a double exclusion. First, during the Nazi era, they were seized as Jewish property amid the persecution of Jews in 1930s Germany. Later, after the post-war border changes, communist Polish propaganda erased them from public discourse by labeling them as "German heritage." As a result, their history was suppressed, leaving their significance largely overlooked. By bringing these collections and their histories back into the public eye, this project represents a significant shift in Wrocław’s collective memory. It challenges long-standing narratives, restores a forgotten part of the city’s cultural heritage, and acknowledges the contributions of Jewish collectors to the artistic legacy of Breslau.
Currently, the database features six Jewish art collectors from Breslau—Kolker, Landerer, Lewin, Littmann, Sachs, and Silberberg—along with the artworks they collected. Each collector has a dedicated subpage. The database is available in Polish and English as subpages at the UMF website.
- Magdalena Palica
The database was launched on April 29, 2024, during the webinar with Dr. Magdalena Palica. In addition to introducing the website, the opening webinar focused on presenting Jewish art collectors from Breslau and showcasing examples of their collections. A direct outcome of the webinar was establishing contact with a local newspaper journalist, who later wrote an article on the webinar’s topic, further disseminating its findings.
The significance of the topic and our commitment to both disseminating knowledge to the public and deepening it through expert discussions led us to organize series of webinars under the collective title "Żydowscy kolekcjonerzy z Breslau – niemieccy Żydzi w powojennej zbiorowej pamięci miasta" ("Jewish Collectors from Breslau – German Jews in the Postwar Collective Memory of the City"). These events not only aimed to make the subject more accessible but also fostered academic dialogue by inviting experts in the field to share their insights and perspectives.
- Magdalena Palica
A Conversation with Dr. Bożena Steinborn and Dr. Magdalena Palica. On June 20, 2024 a webinar took place featuring Dr. Magdalena Palica in conversation with Dr. Bożena Steinborn, an esteemed art historian and museum expert.
- Magdalena Palica,
- Christhardt Henschel
- Marek Nuckowski
This webinar explored the concept of memory of place, followed by discussions of specific case studies, including the villas of Leo Lewin, Max Silberberg, and the Landerer family. Dr. Magdalena Palica, provided an analysis of the historical and artistic significance of these sites, while Dr. Christhardt Henschel, a historian from the German Historical Institute in Warsaw, presented a memory studies perspective. Additionally, urban exploration (urbex) YouTubers shared their experiences in engaging with memory in practice.
- Małgorzata Okupnik
- Kamilla Biskupska
- Magdalena Szmida-Półbratek
The discussion featured distinguished experts from various fields: Dr. hab. Małgorzata Okupnik (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań), Dr. Kamilla Biskupska (Institute of Sociology, University of Wrocław), and Mgr Magdalena Szmida-Półbratek, curator at the Museum of Bourgeois Art in Wrocław. The event sparked a thought-provoking discussion on the role of objects as silent witnesses of history, emphasizing how material culture preserves personal and collective narratives. It further underscored the significance of tangible heritage in shaping our understanding of the past.
- Agnieszka Kastory
- Diana Riznyk
The final open to public webinar was dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage, including monuments, artworks, household items, and family heirlooms, in the face of disaster—whether war, floods, ethnic cleansing, or natural catastrophes. To explore these themes, we invited three specialists: Prof. Dr. hab. Agnieszka Kastory (Jagiellonian University, Kraków), and Diana Riznyk – a board member of the Zustricz Foundation.