Franz Koenigs

Franz Wilhelm Koenig ( born September 3, 1881 in Kierberg; † May 6, 1941 in Cologne ) was a German - Dutch banker and art collector.

Banker

Koenigs came from a German banking family. In 1910 he took over the management of the bank Delbrück, Cologne. He also was a partner in the private bank Delbrück, Schickler & Co., Berlin. After the founding of the Bank Rhodius Koenigs Handel Maatschappij based in Amsterdam Koenigs shifted his center of life in the 1920s more and more in the Netherlands. He was at that time one of the most transnationally active private bankers in Europe.

Among other things, he was teacher of German bankers Hermann Josef Abs ( 1901-1994 ).

Art Collector

Moreover, it succeeded Koenigs knowledgeable and experienced to build an outstanding private collection of old masters and to advance internationally as one of the most influential art collectors in this field. The " Koenigs Collection" eventually comprised 46 paintings and 2,761 drawings; including works by Rembrandt, Bosch and Fra Bartolommeo.

In the era of National Socialism Koenigs, who in 1939 had adopted Dutch nationality became more and more in the crossfire. It can be determined by the current state of knowledge suggests that on the one hand with the Nazi authorities worked together and on the other hand, passed on information about the National Socialist Germany to Western intelligence agencies. Koenigs was also keen to get his art collection before the possible access of Nazi art thieves a contribution to a foundation or the offshoring completely or to save. After the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940 but was probably forced to sell part of his collection to buyers of the Nazis. The Koenigs collection was broken then.

1940/41, Koenigs was suspected by the Gestapo to have contributed support to escape from the German Empire and of the imperial government prohibited the transfer of " hot money " Jews. In March 1941, Koenig was therefore detained temporarily. On May 6, 1941 king died at the main train station in Cologne under yet unknown circumstances. Maybe it was an accident, but he was possibly murdered.

Whereabouts and ownership transfers to the collection Koenigs in its entirety after 1941 raise a number of questions today - significant parts arrived as looted art in intricate ways, even in the Soviet Union.

Franz Koenigs was married to Countess Anna of Kalckreuth. Your children and grandchildren now live in the Netherlands and in Germany.