Consequenes of the Second World War for German art

Abstract

The Second World War was the largest human tragedy of Western history and also had a lethal effect on culture and on European art. The Nazi persecution of «degenerate art» not only led to the dismantling of all relations between the international vanguards but also the loss of thousands of works by their most prominent representatives. Hitler used art as a fundamental instrument for the consolidation of its regime and as a propaganda tool for Nazi ideology .German artists who were part of the vanguards emerged before and after the First World War were declared enemies of the regime and the persecution they were subjected to forced most of them to flee abroad or to hide. Others were killed. After the war the European art scene was bleak which led to New York becoming the world capital of art.