Still, nearly 70 years after the end of World War II the secrets of the art looting are far from unraveled. Especially regarding the works of art that have been "acquired" between 1933-1945 from their mostly Jewish owners, there is still a need for action. Not only museums are concerned, even libraries and private collections, art market, companies. This so called provenance research, the exploration of an artworks owner history, is the focus of my work. As an art historian with a special interest in provenance research and the protection of cultural heritage I explore the provenance history of artworks - for collectors, museums and anyone who is interested in this topic.

1. DR. TANJA BERNSAU
ART RESEARCH SERVICE
PICTURES
TELL STORIES
DR. TANJA BERNSAU
ART RESEARCH SERVICE
www.artresearch-service.com

2. DR. TANJA BERNSAU
ART RESEARCH SERVICE
Still, nearly 70 years after the end of
World War II the secrets of the art
looting are far from unraveled.
Especially regarding the works of art
that have been "acquired" between
1933-1945 from their mostly Jewish
owners, there is still a need for action.
Not only museums are concerned,
even libraries and private collections,
art market, companies. This so called
provenance research, the exploration
of an artworks owner history, is the
focus of my work.
As an art historian with a special
interest in provenance research and
the protection of cultural heritage I
explore the provenance history of
artworks - for collectors, museums and
anyone who is interested in this topic.
Art Research Service
 Provenance Research
 Documentation of the Results
 Speeches and Lectures
 Books and Articles
 Consulting New Acquisitions
Pictures Tell Stories
Only he who knows the past has a future!
Wilhelm von Humboldt
„

3. DR. TANJA BERNSAU
ART RESEARCH SERVICE 3
As a freelance art historian, I offer
scientific research on (art-) historical
topics (e.g. for film & television, press,
educational institutions, museums,
companies and private collectors). I
am preparing the research results in
the respective desired shapes (text,
video presentation, poster, video). My
focus lies on provenance research,
especially in the area of Nazi-looted
art. I have many years of
comprehensive experience in the
libraries- and archival research and in
the preparation of the results.
Art Research Service

4. DR. TANJA BERNSAU
ART RESEARCH SERVICE 4
The Monuments Men in Wiesbaden Artworks in Movement – About the mobility
of art in World War II
Speeches
Living History
For your audience I talk about
my research in provenance
research and the protection of
cultural property in war and
peace. My presentations let the
listener delve deeply into the
history with descriptive images.
Like no other war before the Second
World War is characterized by the fact
that it has brought European art in
motion. By expropriations, forced sales,
looted art through the occupied
territories, in May 1945 hardly a work of
art was to be found at the same place it
had been before 1933. Several pillage
institutions and infamous protagonists
were involved in these processes. The
presentation will introduce these
protagonists and shows typical paths of
these artworks.
Even George Clooney has been
addressing the subject of the "Monuments
Men", that American art protection unit,
which started at the end of World War II
on an adventurous treasure hunt to save
European heritage. What Clooney's
Hollywood movie does not tell: The
history of the Monuments Men does not
end with finding the art in the salt mines
and other outsourcing sites. On the
contrary – the true merit of this art
protection officers only begins at the end
of the war.

5. DR. TANJA BERNSAU
ART RESEARCH SERVICE 5
 Tanja Bernsau holds a doctorate degree
in history of art and has explored the
Central Collecting Point Wiesbaden
(Germany) and the influence of the
Monuments Men on German cultural
history after World War II. Her studies in
art history, medieval and modern history
and economics, she completed at the
Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz.
 Before that Tanja Bernsau looked into the
subject of the role of provenance for the
art market and explored a current case
on the art market: the auction of Max-
Liebermann-paintings from the Karg-
Collection at the Auktionshaus Hampel
(Munich). She explained how prices in the
art markets are formed and what a
clarified provenance, free of the suspicion
of being looted art, means. The topic
"provenance research" and "cultural
heritage" are in the focus of her research.
 She gives speeches regarding her topics
art looting, provenance research and
restiution with a special focus on the
"Monuments Men" and the Wiesbaden
Central Collecting Point. Currently she is
teaching provenance research at the art
history department of Justus Liebig
University Giessen (Germany) and
continues her research about the
Monuments Men in Wiesbaden.
Additionally she is exploring the
provenance of the art collection of the
Jewish collector Martin Flersheim
(Frankfurt, Germany).
The Art Investigator

6. DR. TANJA BERNSAU
ART RESEARCH SERVICE 6
Project Partners

7. DR. TANJA BERNSAU
ART RESEARCH SERVICE
Dr. Tanja Bernsau
Hessenring 8
65205 Wiesbaden (Germany)
E-Mail: bernsau@artresearch-service.com
www.artresearch-service.com
Image Sources: iStock; Tanja Bernsau
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