About the Exhibit
Under the control of the Nazi regime, works of art across Europe were confiscated in the thousands. Some were destroyed; some were sold to help build their war machine; others were used as propaganda, promoting the idea that certain perspectives and people were ‘degenerate’ and unworthy of life. This exhibit tells their story. Through over 70 artworks and 40 artists from private and public collections, this exhibit explores artists, movements, events and outcomes of being branded ‘degenerate,’ and the role it played in public indoctrination to Nazi ideology. The exhibit’s historical and artistic content provides a cautionary tale for today.
DEGENERATE! Hitler’s War on Modern Art was originally curated by Jewish Museum Milwaukee and was on display at the Museum in 2023.
Featured Artists
Jean Arp
Max Beckmann
Erich Borchert
Eduard Braun
Fritz Burkhardt
Fritz Burmann
Heinrich Campendonk
Pol Cassel
Marc Chagall
Otto Dix
August Wilhelm Dressler
Marcel Duchamp
Lyonel Feininger
Conrad Felixmüller
Ernst Fritsch
George Grosz
Erich Heckel
Alfred Helberger
Karl Holtz
Wilhelm Hopfner
F.M. Jansen
Alexej von Jawlensky
Wassily Kandinsky
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Paul Klee
Oskar Kokoschka
Käthe Kollwitz
Bernhard Kretzschmar
Elfriede Lohse-Wächtler
Henri Matisse
Ludwig Meidner
Jean Metzinger
Emile Nolde
Otto Nückel
Pablo Picasso
Hugó Scheiber
Rudolf Schlicter
Karl Schmidt-Rotluff
Martel Schwichtenberg
Kurt Schwitters
F.W. Seiwert
Friedrich Skade
Bruno Voigt
Karl Volker
Rental Information
Availability:
– July 2026 through April 2027
– November 2027 through August 2028
Standard Rental Length: 3 Months (negotiable)
Fee: $45,000 for three months
Shipping Costs: Round-trip fine-arts transit or a pro-rated amount based on rental schedule
Space: Minimum of 2,000 square feet
For more information on the exhibit, rental schedule, or to inquire about renting the exhibit, contact Cassie Sacotte at Jewish Museum Milwaukee at (414) 390-5730 or email cassies@milwaukeejewish.org.
Exhibit Components
- 44 original artworks
- Didactic Panel Digital Files
- Art, Genetics, and Degeneracy
- Defeat, Democracy, and Discord
- Modern Art and Artists in Germany
- The Artist-Führer and a Plot for Revenge
- Degenerate Art – Entartete Kunst Exhibit
- Modern Art Movements Designated as Degenerate
- Artwork Captions
- Artist Biographies
Digital Title Wall Graphics Package
Totalitarianism/ Propaganda Timeline – Large-scale timeline juxtaposing artistic movements and historical events.
Entartete Kunst Exhibit video – Contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for loan information.
Testimonials
“(The exhibit) needs to be seen throughout the country.” — Visitor
“Equal parts history lesson, documentary and art show, Degenerate displays works by artists deemed by Nazis as responsible for Germany’s moral decline and societal decay. Together, the results make for a harrowing, required viewing.” — Cleveland.com, October 31, 2024
“A powerful, inspiring and devastating exhibit. It reveals resistance and is a warning to us from history…” — Visitor
In the News
National WWII Museum Podcast – New Exhibit Explores Hitler’s War on Modern Art
November 26, 2026
Nola.com – Hitler targeted modern art in his culture wars. A New Orleans exhibit paints the picture.
November 11, 2025
Shepherd Express – Jewish Museum Milwaukee to Host Lecture by Renowned Art Historian
July 24, 2023
NewCity – Negation and Propaganda: A Review of “Degenerate” at Jewish Museum Milwaukee
May 16, 2023
WUWM 89.7 FM – ‘Degenerate!’ art exhibit explores Nazi Germany’s impact on modern art
April 12, 2023
TMJ4 – Jewish Museum Milwaukee exhibit tells the story of Hitler’s war on modern art
March 20, 2023
The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle – ‘Degenerate! Hitler’s war on modern art’
February 2, 2023
Venues
St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum
St. Louis, MO
September – December 2028
Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
Skokie, IL
April – October 2027
The National WWII Museum
New Orleans, LA
October 2025 – May 2026
The Maltz Museum
Beachwood, Ohio
October 2024 – April 2025
Image Captions (Left to Right)
Der Blinde (The Blind Man), 1925, Franz Maria Jansen, Oil on board. Collection of Kevin and Meg Kinney
Lissy, 1931, Elfriede Lohse-Wächtler, Watercolor on paper. From the collection of Kevin and Meg Kinney.
Abrechnung Folgt! (The Day of Reckoning), 1923, George Grosz, Lithograph. From the collection of Kevin and Meg Kinney.