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August 16,
2021, updated 25-08-2021. ![]() Introduction | An 'amazing provenance'? | Guaranteed authentic for life? | Auctioneer's reaction Auction policies | Address auction house
'Hitlers'
with "amazing provenance"? Lot 0300: "Adolf Hitler Watercolor Painting - Amazing Provenance." Start price €10,000. Description by auctioneer: “Original watercolor by Adolf Hitler taken from the Berghof, painted in 1909 during his years in Vienna [1]. The painting measures around 11 cm x 9 cm and the frame is about 22 cm x 20 cm. This was obtained from a lifelong resident of Berchtesgaden and filmmaker who became acquainted with many of Hitler's friends and associates over the last 50 years. He’s acquired many items from these acquaintances and has mostly kept them under lock and key, never discussing their existence with anyone outside of his family. [2] He acquired this painting from the
well-known caretaker of the Berghof, Margarete “Gretl”
Mitlstrasser and her husband, Wilhelm. In 1992, he
recorded one of his many documentaries and interviewed
Gretl about what it was like to work for Adolf Hitler.
After the interview she showed him this painting and
offered it to him for purchase because she needed
money. [3] The frame is consistent with the style of frames from the 1930s - 1940s. The write-up by Gretl Mittlestrasser states that the painting is in a "contemporary frame", contemporary in the sense it is not in a frame from 1909 when the painting was done, but was done much later, probably during the war years. We
typically stay away from the AH paintings but the
provenance associated with this one is as good as it
gets! You won't find better provenance associated with
a painting by Adolf Hitler. It is guaranteed authentic
for life, as are all of our items!” [5]
[1]
Hitler made no watercolors / drawings
colored in with water-colors at all in 1909.
So, the date on the work, "09" is as fraudulent as the signature on it.
München den 14 .8. 1992 8000 München Das Bild ist in zeitgenössischen Rahmen mit
den Maßen 22 x 20 cm gerahmt. Hinter Glas, das Bild
selbst, 11,0 x 8,6 cm. Es stellt ein Motiv in Wien
dar, mittig ein Brunnen, links im Bild eine kutsche
und darunter die Signatur „A.Hitler 09“. Bei den
Aquarell handelt es sich um ein Original Bild von
Adolf Hitler, das wir bei unserem Fortgang vom Berghof
1945 mitgenommen haben. Wir erhielten damals persönlich die
Erlaubnis und Anordnung alles Brauchbares vom Berghof
mitzunehmen und den Berghof zu verlassen. Names also typed. [Stamped with same stamp as on back of secondary support of painting].
Translation Munich, August 14, 1992 Wilhelm and Margarete Mitlstrasser Geyerstr. 1 8000 Munich We, Gretl and Willi Mitlstrasser, former caretakers of Berghof, make the following statement about the present watercolor of Adolf Hitler: The painting is framed in a contemporary frame measuring 22 x 20 cm. Behind glass, the painting itself, 11.0 x 8.6 cm. It depicts a motif in Vienna, a fountain in the center, a carriage on the left side of the picture and the signature "A.Hitler 09" below. The watercolor is an original painting by Adolf Hitler, which we took with us when we left the Berghof in 1945. After the bombing of Obersalzberg, during which the Berghof was severely damaged, we had a last telephone conversation with Hitler, during which I informed him of the extent of the destruction. At that time we personally received permission and orders to take everything usable from the Berghof and to leave the Berghof. We fled in the direction of Munich in a Mercedes 170, which had been made available to us by the motor pool. We placed most of our belongings with a relative for safekeeping and did not pick them up again until after my release from captivity. Since that time this painting has been in our possession without interruption. Today we pass it on to an acquaintance and collector. [signed et cetera] Questions at letter
No sources except a Begafilm documentary and this letter mentions this call to Hitler from the Berghof, or from the Berghof to Hitler. No source except this letter mentions
Hitler giving permission to leave the Berghof. Au
contraire; Hitler had sent his closest
co-workers from Berlin to the Berghof, to await
developments.
![]() His 1939 signature looks quite different
from the signature in the "1992" letter, but even
so, there are some similarities. Are the differences
caused by old age (in 1992 Herr Mittlstraßer was 81)
or is is a fake signature? On basis of these two
photos we can't reach a solid conclusion.
But how about the spelling of the name? One thing is sure, in 1939 it was "Wilhelm (Willi) Mittlstraßer." In many German publications his name is represented as Willi Mittelstraßer or Mittelstrasser. This is because "Mittl" (in use in Bavaria and Austria) sounds as "Mittel". The "ß" is in English publications mostly represented as "ss". The general change from "ß" (when it sounds short "ss") to "ss" in German ortography happened - in Germany - in 1996. But this change in spelling didn't apply to names. And many older people didn't change their spelling. Moreover, the letter allegedly typed in 1992 by the "Mitl-strassers", was typed on a typewriter with a German keyboard, as the "ß" is used in the word "Maßen". So there is no logical explanation why Gretl and Willi Mittlstraßer would have typed (three times!) their family name as "Mitlstrasser". See also: Volker Ullrich. Adolf Hitler. Biographie. Die Jahre des Untergangs 1939-1945. Band 2. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main, 2018. Jaap van den Born & Bart FM Droog. The Rodolfo Siviero Collection, Florence –
20 alleged Hitlers. Droog Magazine, Eenrum, 2018.
https://www.bartfmdroog.com/droog/niod/florence.html
Mikael Nilsson. Hitler redux. The incredible history of
Hitler's so-called Table Talks. Routledge, Abingdon / New York, 2021
[=2020]. Chapter 3, Rodolfo Sievero.
As the letter functions as a kind of Certificate of Authenticity to a clearly fake Hitler watercolor, the letter is of a fraudulent nature. - It might be composed by the
Mittlstraßers themselves. But given the wrong spelling
of the family names this is very unlikely. - It might be composed by a forger, who
then bribed the Mittl-straßers to sign it. Which,
given the wrong spelling of the names is very unlikely
too. - It might be composed by a forger, who also forged the signatures of the Mittlstraßers. Whatever might be the case, it doesn' t make the watercolor authentic.[5] "It is guaranteed authentic for life, as are all of our items!"
What does this mean? Basically: nothing. Because in Valkyrie’s terms and conditions exactly the opposite is mentioned: - Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement or a fact. - Valkyrie Historical Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission in the description. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. All items sold strictly AS IS. So much for the “authentic for life”. Source: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/108538804_adolf-hitler-watercolor-painting-amazing-provenance To top of page. Lot 0301: "Adolf Hitler Drawn Pencil Sketch - Amazing Provenance". Start price about $250. Gerdy herself was an architect and
interior designer. After her husbands death, she
was an architectural and design advisor to Hitler
and his inner circle up until the end of the war.
She was one of only a few who actively disagreed
with Hitler without fear of being fired or jailed.
Hitler admired Gerdy and happily took her advice
about art and architecture. She died in 2003 at
the age of 98. [1] This sketch doesn't resemble
any believed to be authentic Hitler
sketch.Whoever made it was probably
inspired by the alleged Hitler sketches
depicted in Price, #650 and
#651:
According to Price
this sketch was Hitler’s crude design for
a SA column, which had to be erected in
Munich. Hitler allegedly made it before
the “Röhmputsch” in 1934. But the sketch
in Price is in all likelihood a
forgery. All that is stated about its
provenance is that it was in 1982 in the
possession of Billy F. Price. Price was
the Texan businessman who financed
Price and who owned a large number
of forged Hitler material.
Hermann Giesler. Ein
anderer Hitler, 1977, page 298.
Denkmal der Partei. Click to enlarge.
In 1944 Hermann Giesler made this design for a column (Denkmal für die Bewegung / Partei (Memorial for the Nazi party)), which had to be erected in Munich. It was a radical improvement of a model made by Speer based on an amateur sketch by Hitler (which was no more than a copy of a column from Schloss Schönbrunn in Vienna).
Left: column at Schloss Schönbrunn,
Vienna (courtesy Google Streetview). Right:
Marcus Aurelius Column in Rome, depicted in Price
(page 236, #650a).
Billy F. Price [= August Priesack and
Peter Jahn]. Adolf Hitler als Maler und Zeichner. Ein
Werkkatalog der Ölgemälde, Aquarelle, Zeichnungen
und Architekturskizzen. Gallant Verlag, Zug, 1983.
Page 236. Hermann Giesler. Ein
anderer Hitler. Bericht seines Architekten.
Erlebnisse, Gespräche, Reflexionen.
Druffel,
1977. pages 291-299.
Film maker and photographer Hanni
Umlauf became in 1939 the partner of Prof. Gerdy
Troost, actually Gerhardine Troost née Andresen
(* March 3, 1904 in Stuttgart; † January 30,
2003 in Bad Reichenhall). They lived together
for the rest of their lives.
The letter allegedly written by Hanni Umlauf is quite strange. It is a kind of Certificate of Authenticity,in which is stated that she received the sketch as a gift from Gerdy Troost in the 1970s.
Even more doubtful is the letter in
English, accompanying the alleged Umlauf letter.
-
"30. April 1931": Hitler sketch proposed by Valkyrie
Auctions in 2021 as lot 301. -
"Spring 1934": Hitler sketch. -
"1938-1943": original Hitler sketch (unsurfaced,
maybe lost). -
unconfirmed date: original Speer sketch, using
Hitler sketch (unsurfaced, maybe lost). -
1944: original sketch by Giesler. Sources: Billy F. Price [= August Priesack and Peter Jahn]. Adolf Hitler als Maler und Zeichner. Ein Werkkatalog der Ölgemälde, Aquarelle, Zeichnungen und Architekturskizzen. Gallant Verlag, Zug,1983, page 236. English translation: Hitler, the unknown artist, 1984. https://www.bartfmdroog.com/droog/niod/price-images7.html#236 Despina Stratigakos. Hitler at home. Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2015. Pages 135-136, 145. Date of birth Hanni Umlauf: Despina Stratigakos. E-mail to Bart FM Droog, 19-08-2021. Agentur Karl Höffkes. https://archiv-akh.de/filme/1675#1 Melanie Murphy. Homosexuality and the Law
in the Third Reich. Chapter 8, note 33 (page 283)
in: John J. Michalczyck (ed.), Nazi Law from
Nuremberg to Nuremberg. Bloomsbury Academic,
London / New York, 2018. https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/108541661_adolf-hitler-drawn-pencil-sketch-amazing-provenance To top of page.
BUYER'S PREMIUM 29% up to $50,000.00 29% up to $100,000.00 29% above $100,000.00 - Valkyrie Historical Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission in the description. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. All items sold strictly AS IS. To top of page.
Photos courtesy Valkyrie Historical Auctions. |
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