The Hahn FamilySilver Judaica Collection

* T H E N U M B E R S P R O V I D E D A R E S U B J E C T TO F U R T H E R R E S E A R C H

THE SEARCH IS ONGOING…

12PIECESSAVED BY THE HAHN FAMILY

154OBJECTSSTILL MISSING

1 ITEMRESTITUTED

167PIECES IN THE ORIGINAL COLLECTION

146ITEMSSURRENDERED TO THE NAZIS

21OBJECTSUNACCOUNTED FOR

LOOTED BY THE NAZIS

In March 1939, Max Hahn was forced to surrender valuables containing precious metals to the Nazis. He delivered 146 pieces from his silver Judaica collection to bank deposits under the control of the Third Reich in the hope he could reclaim them later.

While 146 of the 167 pieces of Hahn Judaica were surrendered to the Nazis, the remaining 21 pieces in the original collection were unaccounted for during the confiscation of Jewish valuables in 1939.

IN THE ORIGINAL COLLECTION

167 PIECES

SURRENDERED TO THE NAZIS

146 ITEMS

UNACCOUNTED FOR21 OBJECTS

Following the end of the Second World War, the Hahn family counted 12 objects of Max’s original 167 pieces in their possession. Some of these pieces had been saved in October 1940, when Max tracked his collection from the Göttingen bank deposit to the Berlin city pawnshop. Max was able to release certain pieces by providing proof of his legal emigration.

SAVED BY THE HAHN FAMILY

12 PIECES

Megillah (Scroll of Esther). Parchment scroll. Italian, 18th century. Colourful pen-and-ink drawings by scribe. Illustrations of flowers, fruits and birds on top and in columns. Below the 11 areas of script feature 11 pictures from the Story of Esther.The Hahn Collection.

Since 1946, the descendants of Max and Gertrud Hahn have tried to locate the stolen Judaica collection.

A breakthrough occurred in the spring of 2018. A kiddush cup from the collection—known as the Jacob’s Cup—was located in Hamburg in the vault of a museum. On November 7, 2018, the cup was returned to its rightful owners, the Hahn family.

RESTITUTED1 ITEM

STILL MISSING154 OBJECTS

The fate of the majority of the Hahns’ silver Judaica collection remains unclear.

sold by the Berlin city pawnshop?WERE THEY…

destroyed during the bombing of Berlin?WERE THEY…

found by Allied occupation soldiers or individuals after the war?

WERE THEY…

sold or released from Germany? WERE THEY…

distributed by the Allies to Jewish institutions? WERE THEY…

taken by members of the Soviet Army? WERE THEY…

THE FAMILY’S SEARCH CONTINUES…

RESTITUTION OF THE HAHN FAMILY ’S BELONGINGS

In June 2011, provenance research at the City Museum in Göttingen revealed several of the Hahns’ household belongings among the museum’s holdings.

The City Museum in Göttingen agreed to return the pieces to the family, and their continued co-operation has led to the rediscovery of a total of 35 household items, including a rococo sofa and chairs.

RESTITUTED FAMILY BELONGINGS

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