II.4/ Traces de pratiques musicales dans quelques bibliothèques spoliées par les nazis

Abstract

This submission is based on the author’s extensive work on the libraries that were looted by Nazi forces in France during World War II. After the Liberation, France created a Commission for Art Recovery, which included a Sub-Commission for Books. This task force was in charge of finding and returning libraries and works of art to their rightful owners. Victims of looting were required to submit a dossier to the sub-commission describing the damage done to their library, the circumstances and parties involved in the looting, and a list of the stolen documents that was as precise as possible. These lists include evidence of a substantial interest in music and musicianship. Books on music, music history, and key figures in the music industry underscore this interest, while the presence of a significant amount of sheet music point to a practice that extends far beyond the upper classes. While the library of Vladimir Jankélévitch, which was entirely dedicated to his two main interests, philosophy and music, is iconic, it is obviously not the only case. These documents, which were taken from looted victims who were involved in music on a professional level, such as composers, players, and teachers, were also found in many other homes whose owners did not pursue these careers.