The Nazi Plunder of Artistic Heritage in Gorenjska during the Second World War and the Case of Altars from the Church of St Lucy in Dražgoše

Abstract

Based on analysis of archival sources, the article presents the thus far unresearched Nazi plunder of artistic heritage in the region of Gorenjska (Upper Carniola) during the Secod World War and focuses on organisation of operations and their protagonists. Due to the complexity and scope of the topic, identification and analysis of the plundered artworks are left for future study. The inconsistencies in understanding of the process, which arise from the numerous gaps in documentation, are overcome via a case study revealing how the operations were implemented in practice. Presented in the second part of the article, it focuses on the transfer of inventory from the church of St Lucy in Dražgoše, which was burnt down by the Germans in January 1942 in the aftermath of the battle in its immediate surroundings. A part of the artworks they removed from the church before destroying it are still missing today.