Woman on Fire

The novel’s historical setting is the Nazi period of German history (1933-1945) and specifically focuses on the years before the outbreak of World War II when the Nazi regime outlawed art and culture deemed degenerate according to their conservative and traditionalist sentiments. The two greatest events involving artists and the Nazis occurred in 1933 and 1937, followed by the event directly mentioned in the book, the infamous Lucerne auction in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1939.

In January 1933, Adolf Hitler officially became the chancellor of Germany, and the Nazi party quickly consolidated power. Starting in 1933 and continuing in the years following, many Jewish people, as well as artists and intellectuals, fled Germany due to the oppressive policies of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi organization. Artists who fled and who are mentioned in the book include Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Max Beckmann. A few remained in Germany, even though they were removed from any teaching positions they held and were not allowed to paint in any style deemed “degenerate.” Otto Dix is a famous example of an artist who stayed behind despite the punitive efforts of the Nazis.

The second historical event mentioned in the book is the Exhibition of Degenerate Art in Munich, Germany in 1937. Between 1933 and 1937, the Nazis stole or removed thousands of paintings deemed degenerate. It was Hitler’s idea to have an exhibition of the art and allow the public a chance to see it and mock it. However, it was not clear what exactly was illegal art and what was allowed. Therefore, the works deemed degenerate were juxtaposed with acceptable art, and the degenerate art was attacked not because of form but because of what the artist represented, e.g., Judaism, communism, pacifism, etc.

The third important historical event mentioned in the novel is the auction of degenerate artworks in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1939. The auction was held at the gallery of Theodor Fischer. Hildebrand Gurlitt, the man on whom the character Helmuth Geisler is based in the novel, was in attendance. As in the novel, artwork sold at the auction were all works the Nazis had removed from German museums or stolen from individuals, many of whom were Jewish, and these artworks have been difficult to track down and restore to their rightful owners. Furthermore, though the Nazis condemned such art, they also needed to raise funds for public works projects and the further development of the German military. Thus, it is argued that the Lucerne auction helped to fund the Nazi war effort.