Thursday, May 16, 2013

Celebrating the Historic Poster Collection of Hans Sachs

RARE Exhibit of Posters Stolen by Nazi's
By: Teresa R.

sample of posters stolen by Nazi Propagandist, Goebbels
 Universally declared "the most significant collection of its type in existence"

Rare posters seized by the Nazis in 1938 from a Jewish dentist on the orders of Hitler's Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, then held behind the Iron Curtain in Communist East Berlin, are here in Western New York to be on display and available for purchase one night only Friday, May 24, 2013 from 6-9 pm at Urban Design, LLC located at 21 Elm St. First Floor, East Aurora, NY.

"That we were able to obtain these rare works of art is a miracle and honor in and of itself. We feel so fortunate to be a part of their journey and to share them with the people of Buffalo, " says Lisa DeCarlo, of Urban Design, LLC. “We obtained approximately 30 of these rare posters through what I can only describe as divine providence. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time!” The posters made their nationally celebrated arrival into New York the same time that Hurricane Sandy did, and well...the rest is history.

Universally declared, the 'most significant collection of its kind in existence', over 12,000 of them were seized by Goebbels who wanted them for a museum of his own, on Kristallnacht Nov. 9, 1938. Hans Sachs, the owner of the poster collection was taken away to a concentration camp never to see his prized collection again. Hans Sachs managed to escape from the concentration camp a few weeks later through the help of his wife who managed to obtain British visas for him and his family.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, 4300 of the posters were found in Berlin's German Historical museum. Hans Sachs son, Peter Sachs fought for seven years to get them returned to the family. Peter Sachs decided to auction off the posters so they could finally be enjoyed by the people who loved them like his father did. The value of the poster collection is estimated between 6 and 21 million dollars, and include works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Lucian Bernhard, Ludwig Hohlwein, Wassily Kandinsky, Käthe Kollwitz, Max Pechstein, Otto Dix, and Jules Cheret.

The posters were made to last an average of six weeks, because they were designed to be posted up on a wall, to advertise a club or an event. The fact that they are still in existence and in some cases looking as bright and vibrant as the day they were printed is miraculous.

After the war, Hans Sachs assumed the collection had been destroyed and accepted compensation of about 225,000 German marks (then worth about $50,000) from West Germany in 1961. He learned five years later, however, that part of the collection had survived the war and been turned over to an East Berlin museum. It's not known what happened to the other posters.

Sachs wrote the communist authorities about seeing the posters or even bringing an exhibit to the West to no avail. He died in 1974 without ever seeing them again. Peter Sachs only learned of the existence of the collection in 2005, and began fighting then for their return.

Legal battles went all the way to Germany's top federal appeals court, which ruled last March in favor of Sachs, saying that if the museum kept the posters it would be akin to perpetuating the crimes of the Nazis.

This ONE NIGHT ONLY event is FREE and open to the public. Private showing for members of the press, holocaust survivors and their families or art collectors will be Thursday, May 23, 2013 from 6-9 pm. RESERVATIONS for private showings can be obtained by calling (716) 714-5861 or (716) 491-1637
About Urban Design, LLC:

Founded by Lisa B. DeCarlo, interior designer recently featured at this year’s Junior League Decorators’ Show House, with command central at 21 Elm St. First floor East Aurora, NY, the showroom can be likened more to a museum than that of a workshop. According to Lisa, Urban Design is about the team and the integral part within each of them that strives to be different and innovative.
Second, it's about the shared appreciation for reinterpretation...incorporating industrial and architectural antiques made by innovators of another time in every original Urban Design.

Third, simply put, the commitment to the "Three Rs"...we RECYCLE, we REPURPOSE, we RETHINK.

If it can be imagined...it can be created!

Visit Urban Designs at http://www.urbandesignreclaimed.com/ or call (716) 714-5861 to schedule a consultation.

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