(Q47311897)
Statements
von Frey, Count Alexander. Lucerne, Hotel Eden. Art dealer of German birth and Hungarian citizenship; married originally to the daughter of a Hungarian industrialist. Divorced in 1936 and remarried to a German. In art dealing since about 1920. (English)
3 references
Closely connected with Wendland, Lohse, Rochlitz and other key looting figures. Believed to have brought works of art illegally into Switzerland through Romanian diplomatic channels. Participated in an exchange of loot with the ERR. (English)
1 reference
von Frey, Count Alexander. Lucerne, Hotel Eden. Art dealer of German birth and Hungarian citizenship; married originally to the daughter of a Hungarian industrialist. Divorced in 1936 and remarried to a German. In art dealing since about 1920. Involved in several important looted art transactions in France and Switzerland and, although he did not do a great deal of business, is perhaps second only to Wendland in the Swiss art trade in the strength of his official German contacts. Closely connected with Wendland, Lohse, Rochlitz and other key looting figures. Believed to have brought works of art illegally into Switzerland through Romanian diplomatic channels. Participated in an exchange of loot with the ERR. Professes strong pro-Allied sentiments. Has had possession of 57-60 of the Allied List. Has maintained contact throughout the war with the New York art trade. (English)
2 references
Frey, Alexander von(gest. 1951 in New York); Luzern, Hotel Eden; Appartment in Paris (rue Cervance?); Kunsthändler deutscher Herkunft mit ungarischer Staatsbürgerschaft, im Kunsthandel seit 1920 tätig, an mehreren wichtige Transaktionen geraubter Kunstwerke in Frankreich und der Schweiz beteiligt, mit der Tochter eines ungarischen Industriellen verheiratet, Scheidung 1936, später Hochzeit mit einer Deutschen (Erika, gest. 1987), enge Verbindungen zu Wendland, Lohse, Rochlitz, Lindpaintner und anderen Schlüsselfiguren, soll Kunstwerke über rumänische Diplomaten illegal in die Schweiz gebracht haben, am Austausch geraubter Objekte mit dem ERR beteiligt, während des Krieges Kontakt zum New Yorker Kunsthandel; geht 1948 mit seiner Ehefrau in die USA entgegen der Empfehlung des OSS Offiziers James Plaut (Verhör/Befragung v. 05.01.1946); Verkauf der Sl. von Frey bei Sotheby's, London, am 08.12.1988; lt. Korrespondenz mit John Hunt informierte sich Alexander von Frey über die Möglichkeit, Visa für Irland zu erhalten (z.B. 07.01.1944, 11.04.1944). (German)
"In one exchange with the Nazis, von Frey gave ‘Mill in Saxony’ by Karl Blechen and ‘Study of Figures’ by Hans Makart in exchange for ‘Portrait of a Girl’ by Renoir, ‘Apple’ by Picasso and ‘Country Road’ by Pisarro. An assessment of the value of the three paintings received by von Frey, (made for British investigators by Professor Bertrand), came to an aggregate figure of Fr. Frs. 80,000. The paintings were looted from collections owned by Alfred Lindon, Paul Rosenberg and the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery, Paris" (Gibbons, 44); "The contract for this exchange (document available) was drawn up on 14/5/42 personally by VON BEHR, head of Amt Westen. It appears that von FREY was anxious to avoid mention of ERR. The two pictures by Blechen and Mackart were acquired on behalf of Goering: he subsequently presented the Blechen to HITLER. Hofer personally approved the exchange and von FREY personally selected his pictures in Paris from the A.W. depot. FREY is a Hungarian national resident in Lucerne. (Your A.646 of 14th May, 1945, from Zurich Consulate General refers, and is hereby disproved). It has not yet been ascertained how FREY imported these pictures into Switzerland. The whereabouts of Nos: 1 and 3 are still unknown and must be discovered. Goering acquired all three French pictures on 14/5/1942." [Douglas Cooper, Report of Mission to Switzerland, 10th December 194, zit. nach Gibbons, 44f.]Q: Erin Gibbons, The Hunt Controversy: A Shadow Report, 2008 (English)