MASTERPIECES FROM THE BERLIN MUSEUMS - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

MASTERPIECES FROM THE BERLIN MUSEUMS was the title of a traveling exhibition that came to Cleveland in 1948 and proved to be the most popular exhibition ever held at the CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART. Advancing into Germany in Apr. 1945, the 347th Infantry of Gen. Geo. Patton's 3d Army had discovered a cache of art works taken from Berlin's National-Galerie and the Kaiser Friedrich Museum; 207 of the most valuable masterpieces were shipped to the U.S. to be stored in the vaults of the Natl. Gallery until such time as they could be safely returned to Germany. Before returning them, the Dept. of the Army allowed 97 of the works to tour 13 cities in the U.S., including Cleveland, in 1948-49. The show included paintings by Rembrandt, Titian, Hals, Chardin, and Watteau. A $.25 admission fee was used for the German Children's Relief Fund. In each city the exhibition drew record crowds. The Cleveland Museum of Art hosted the exhibition from 6-22 Oct. 1948, during which period it was seen by more than 100,000 visitors. On 21 Oct. the museum's 31-year attendance record was broken, as 18,120 people came to see the works of art. The Cleveland Museum of Art published the exhibition catalog for 8 other museums, of which a record 159,000 copies were sold.

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