The Journey of the Paintings
Hitler’s cultural politics, art trade and storage during the NS era in the Salzkammergut
Art transports from the Altaussee salt mine, 1943/44 
Anthonis van Dyck, Jupiter as Satyr at Antiope, about 1620 
Arnold Böcklin, Castle by the Sea (Murder in the Castle), 1859 
003 D Rd B Violetta Wakolbinger VIO8441 
Exhibition view "The Journey of the Paintings", 2024 
Exhibition view "The Journey of the Paintings", 2024
Like no other region in Austria, the Salzkammergut served as a point of transit and salvage for important works of European art history during the Second World War, including art looted by the National Socialists. After the first bombing raids, exhibits for Adolf Hitler’s “Führer Museum” and works of art from the Schack art collection in Munich were stored in the Altaussee salt mine and in makeshift depots such as inns and churches. Austrian museums also used a mine, the Franz-Josef-Erbstollen (Franz Josef adit) in Lauffen near Bad Ischl in the Salzkammergut, as a refuge facility in 1944/45.
The exhibition features more than 80 paintings and objects that were collected, stored, retrieved and rescued in the Salzkammergut during the war years. All of the items are on loan from public museums, and their current and historical ownership status is documented in the exhibition. They include artworks that were looted by the Nazis and later restituted to their owners, as well as works of art whose origins are the subject of ongoing provenance research.
Masterpieces from the 8th to the 20th centuries by Arnold Böcklin, Goya, Edvard Munch, Lovis Corinth, Jacob van Ruisdael, Anthonis van Dyck, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Max Liebermann, Jakob Jordaens, Titian, Moritz von Schwind and Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, among others, as well as a historical model of the Ghent Altarpiece tell the stories of their odysseys with many stops along the way.
With the critical intervention Ruinenwert by the sucessful German artist Henrike Naumann the exhibition is complemented by a contemporary perspective.
Culture project of Kulturhauptstadt Europas Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024
| Date | Title | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 28.07 | Guided tour through “The Journey of the Paintings” Duration 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket € 4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come-first-served”), German only | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Tue 30.07 | Guided tour through “The Collection” + “The Journey of the Paintings” Duration 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket € 4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come-first-served”), German only | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Thu 01.08 | Guided tour through “The Journey of the Paintings” Duration 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket € 4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come-first-served”), German only | 6:00 pm–7:00 pm |
| Sat 03.08 | Express Tour: “The Journey of the Paintings” This tour offers an insight into the Lentos. It looks at the museum‘s history and collection of art and includes highlights of the present special exhibition. Language: English, Ticket: 4€ plus admission, duration: 1h | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
| Sun 04.08 | Guided tour through “The Journey of the Paintings” Duration 60 minutes, max. 25 people, guided tour ticket € 4 (plus admission) No registration required (“first-come-first-served”), German only | 4:00 pm–5:00 pm |
Publication – Texts in English language
An English translation of the catalog written in German language for the exhibition “Die Reise der Bilder” [“The Journey of the Paintings”] is available for Download here.
Group Tours
Duration 1 hour, max. 25 participants, prices and booking information can be found here
Thinking and reflection space – for families, schools and adults
Equipped with an “open archive”, a glossary to clarify difficult terms and plenty of introductory and in-depth literature (also for children and young people) on the subject, we invite all interested parties to the open reflection room to delve deeper into contemporary historical issues.
Further exhibitions in the Salzkammergut
The Lentos Art Museum Linz is participating in the “Cultural Capital Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024” with under the project title “Journey of Images” with two other exhibitions. These exhibitions don’t take place at the Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz.
Wolfgang Gurlitt. Art dealer and profi teer from Bad Aussee
28.3. to 3.11.24
Venue: Kammerhofmuseum, Bad Aussee
Wolfgang Gurlitt’s (1888−1965) eventful biography and the connections between his collection, the Lentos and the Salzkammergut are illuminated in a multifaceted way.
More
The Life of Things. Looted – Displaced – Salvaged
27.4. to 1.9.24
Venue: Altes Marktrichterhaus, Lauffen
Showcasing contemporary works of art, the exhibition focuses on the fate of works of art and artefacts between looting, displacement, restitution, and reconstruction.
More
#SneakPeek: Die Reise der Bilder
Lentos & Kulturhauptstadt 2024 – Linz, Lauffen, Bad Aussee
Public transport
Lentos is centrally located and very well connected to the public transport network. We therefore recommend traveling by public transport. The museum is just a few minutes’ walk from Linz’s main square. All users of a KlimaTicket Ö receive reduced admission to the exhibition (€ 12 instead of € 14). More about traveling to Lentos by public transport
Note: Special offers for the Capital of Culture Year 2024, such as the day public transport ticket for the whole of Upper Austria for € 19.90 or the Salzkammergut Shuttle can be found at salzkammergut-2024.at/anreise
City trip to Linz
Off to a weekend in Linz! The diverse and modern city invites you to enjoy culture by the river: 2 nights in the hotel of your choice with breakfast plus 3‑day Linz Card from € 144 #visitlinz. More at linztourismus.at/kurztrip