Nazi Looted Art and the Fight for Open Data

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In 2000 the American newspaper Chicago Tribune examined the struggle to publish long hidden Holocaust-related art looting archives. 

The article, "KEY TO ART NAZIS STOLE MAY BE LOCKED AWAY"written by journalist and history professor Ron Grossman, recounts the struggle to provide open access to:

 a massive cache of World War II records documenting Nazi looting of works by some of the greatest artists in history 

The context of the article is that a United States government commission on Holocaust reparations is preparing to issue its final report, and there is fear that these crucial archives, which had been marked classified and locked away, will remain inaccessible despite the efforts of the Presidential Commission. The Commission is planning to publish a public database, but there are problems. Additional government funding is needed. A deadline looms.

FOLD3: Red Flag Name Fritz Nathan entered as Fritz Najean

Digital Humanities can help find information if the information is correctly digitized. But if names are misspelled, they will be invisible to a digital search function.

FOLD3, the excellent digital archive associated with NARA, the National Archives, has a problem with the transcriptions of the Art Looting Investigation Unit Red Flag List of Names. And the problem seems to be getting worse, not better.
If one searches the ALIU Final Report for "Nathan" one will find Nathan Katz. The entry for Fritz Nathan will not appear in the search.

If one knows that there is an entry for Fritz Nathan in the Switzerland section of the Art Looting Investigation Unit Red Flag List and goes to the page where it appears, one can see on the image the entry for (*) Nathan, Dr. Fritz. However the list of searchable names on the left side of the screen shows, not Fritz Nathan, but a "Fritz Najean".

There is no such person as Fritz Najean in the actual ALIU Reports. However, if one searches on "Najean" the record will appear.

If, however, one searches on "Nathan", one will only find Nathan, Katz. Not Fritz Nathan.

This kind of data error should be of concern to digital humanities scholars, art historians, provenance researchers, and archivists.

see FOLD3 https://www.fold3.com/image/232006332 for Fritz Nathan aka Najean entry

For other ALIU Reports on Fold3 see:

CIRs: https://www.fold3.com/browse/114/hvMxROzkdWx-J5nVj

DIRs https://www.fold3.com/browse/114/hvMxROzkdSyceieW2

Final (including Red Flag List) https://www.fold3.com/browse/114/hvMxROzkd1ZVdGNv9C7Gz495S


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For more digital transcription errors concerning Fritz Nathan see also:

- National Archives: Holocaust era assets, where Nathan is digitized as "Mathan".

https://www.archives.gov/research/holocaust/finding-aid/military/part-2-notes.html

- Buehrle, Emil entry in the digitized publication of the ALIU Red Flag List, where Nathan is transcribed as "Natman".

https://www.lootedart.com/MVI3RM469661

Dorotheum Sales from 1938-1945

Dorotheum: Purchases In Netherlands And Belgium. NARA https://www.fold3.com/image/269977839

Dorotheumsankäufe 1938 - 1945

(see site archive and lootedart for downloadable PDF)

Inv. Nr. Objekt

59.297 Gemälde, unbekannter Maler, Porträt Johann III. Sobieski, Öl/Lwd.,

Rahmen 115 x 94 cm

59.766 Zusammenlegspiel „Quodlibet“, Biedermeier, unter Glas, in Originalkarton

39,5 x 49,3 cm

60.181 Gemälde, Hans Canon, Die Fischverkäuferin, 1860, sign. u. dat., Öl/Lwd.,

Rahmen 158 x 126 cm

60.183 Porzellanschüssel, oval, Gitterrand bemalt mit roter Rocailleverzierung,

im Spiegel bunter Streublumendekor, Blaumarke, Mitte 18. Jh.

60.185 Porzellan, Schale mit Untertasse, überhöhter Schlangenhenkel, Darstellung

vorne: Danae und der Goldregen, sonst Goldplättchendekor auf weißem

Grund, Tasse innen vergoldet, Wien, Blaumarke, Jahresstempel 1815,

Höhe 9,8 cm

60.186 Porzellangruppe, bemalt, Kavalier auf Schlittschuhen reicht einer neben

ihm sitzenden Dame einen Schlittschuh, Wien, Blaumarke, Mitte 18. Jh.,

Höhe 12,5 cm

Preserving Digital Objects

How to ensure preservation and access for digital objects? 

The California Digital Library has published guidelines that aim to support the following objectives:

• Ensure a basic level of uniformity in the structure and encoding of non-licensed digital content managed by the CDL

• Advance interoperability among digital content from diverse institutions

• Promote efficient ingest procedures

• Support the orderly management of digital content

• Facilitate access to digital content by users

• Minimize costs 

To consult the PDF of  CDL Guidelines for Digital Objects (CDL GDO) Maintained by the California Digital Library (January 2017 University of California, California Digital Library)

For more information on Calisphere/DAMS Projects