The Great Deception
Munich, Germany
November 1938
A chilly winter breeze descended from the Alps, clearly announcing
that the first snow would fall soon. Peter Steiner crossed
the Königsplatz, holding his winter coat closely. Shivering, he
climbed the steps to the Reichsministerium, the Nazi military
headquarters in Bavaria. The ominous building stood tall with
double iron gates and towering columns. Two threatening stone
eagles with outstretched wings perched on either side of these
columns. Steiner was confronted by two Schutzstaffel soldiers,
SS, with quite impressive builds. Their matching short blond
hair, blue eyes, and black tailored uniforms with distinct SS symbols
on their lapels made Peter anxious. The SS constituted the
closest military division aligned and under direct orders from
Adolf Hitler. Clearly, these two had been selected to represent
the Aryan race to perfection.
Steiner tried not to tremble in front of the intimidating
guards as he wondered why he had been invited to this place.
As the two guards saluted, they requested his identification. He
slowly pulled out the invitation sent to him, stating, You are in vited to formally meet Oberst Günter von Hohenstein at the Reichsministerium
on Tuesday, November 18 at 15:00 hours.
The taller guard commanded, “Follow me,” pivoting to lead
the young man down a hallway. The customary swastika flags
flanked the walls, and at the end of the corridor a life-size picture
of the Führer, Adolf Hitler, hung in full uniform.
The guard came to a stop in front of a door and knocked. An
older officer in a black uniform appeared behind the door with
an open, friendly smile. He introduced himself as Officer Hubler.
The tall, handsome man’s uniform also displayed the SS symbol
with several silver leaves below, showing off his apparently new
appointment.
“Here we have our young art expert, Herr Peter Steiner, right
on time,” Officer Hubler stated. The guard saluted the picture of
Hitler with an outstretched arm, clicked his heels, and departed
the room.
Officer Hubler invited the young man to enter his office.
Steiner observed that the office was more like an elegant living
room with a bar, mirror, chandelier, and a small desk with a photo
of Hitler hanging behind it. Fresh yellow tulips stood on one
of the side tables, reminding Steiner of his days in Holland. Several
lounge chairs stood on a perfectly polished wooden floor
framed with carpets. Floor to ceiling windows revealed open
views overlooking the Koenig’s garden, a well-kept tree line with
flowerbeds and a lily pond.
Officer Hubler offered Peter a coffee along with a few pastries
and invited him to take a seat on one of the chairs. Steiner
gladly accepted and Hubler took a seat opposite of him, making
small talk to ease Peter’s tension. Hubler’s piercing dark blue eyes
twinkled as he spoke of his love for the arts, especially the old
masters’ particular styles and recognizable brush strokes. Finally, he paused and smiled, exposing a perfect set of white
teeth. “You are wondering why you are here, I suppose? I am the
attaché to Major Oberst von Hohenstein, who will be joining us
shortly.” Hubler produced a file from the desk and said, “As we
can already tell, you are an expert in the art department, especially
in the old masters of Flemish and Dutch painters. You are
also an expert at detecting copies of the masters, not only in their
style of painting, but also in the quality of paint and various canvas
materials used during their time period. Is this correct, Herr
Peter Steiner?”
Steiner replied, “Yes, I did specialize in these during my studies.
I also spent most of my time in my father’s art studio during
my childhood.”
Hubler continued. “Furthermore, during your studies, you
spent several years in Amsterdam, plus additional time in Belgium.
Here, you established an excellent reputation with the
museums. The private collectors’ section also recognized your
discovery of reproduction pieces purchased by a few of these collectors.
Due to your effort in recognizing the style and materials,
the forger was apprehended and thrown into prison. I must say
you have an excellent record, which earned you a fast-growing
reputation in the European art world.”
Unbeknown to Steiner, some of Hitler’s favored SS officers,
including Oberst von Hohenstein, were analyzing this conversation
through a one-way mirror outside of the office.
A tall man with an athletic body, blond hair, and blue eyes
entered the room. His face displayed a pronounced jaw-line, and
there was an elegant flair about him. From the get-go, his mannerisms
were that of a leader. He was not wearing a uniform, but
a tailored grey suit accompanied with a dark tie and an SS symbol
on his lapel. Hubler sprang from his chair and introduced the Oberst
von Hohenstein. Oberst was a descendant of one of the top aristocratic
families, dating back to Ludwig the second of Bavaria,
holding the official title of Fuerst. His family owned one of the
most skilled and well-maintained estates in the lower Alps, producing
a well-known selection of wines favored by some of the
most discriminating wine connoisseurs in Germany. Oberst’s
older brother ran the family business, and due to his high rank in
the SS, his brother was exempt from military duties.
Oberst sat behind the small desk, then presented a file while
looking directly into Peter’s eyes. As his right hand grasped his
left arm, Peter started to feel a bit nervous, and he suddenly froze
as Oberst began to speak.
“Herr Steiner, due to your record, as Officer Hubler previously
stated, you qualify for a critical mission. You will be working
in an extraordinary position for the Reich of Adolf Hitler,
and I want you to know the highest ranks have selected you. Do
you understand, Herr Steiner?”
Peter knew better than to disagree and instantly replied, “If I
can contribute my knowledge to the Fatherland, then I am ready.”
Oberst smiled and said, “That’s good to hear, Herr Steiner.
You will be generously rewarded. You and your new wife will
soon receive an invitation to one of our resorts in the mountains.
Furthermore, you will be introduced to our Führer, who also
greatly approved of you taking the position, thinking highly of
your expertise.” Oberst turned to Hubler, saying, “Please, orient
Herr Steiner on all that is necessary.” With this, Oberst stood up
and gave Steiner a firm handshake. As his eyes pierced into Steiner’s,
Oberst confirmed, “I know I can trust you,” which meant,
don’t ever disappoint me. His deep and intimidating look reassured
Steiner that disappointments could lead to disaster. Hubler saluted as the Oberst left the office and proceeded
to open an attaché case. Handing Peter a small wallet, Hubler
instructed Steiner to open it. To his surprise, there was money
and a photo identification card, officially making him a cultural
attaché to the Reich with the SS division under the command of
Oberst von Hohenstein.
Hubler must have noticed Peter’s confusion, so he added,
“You are exempt from military duties, and a new, larger apartment
will be assigned to you. You will have special privileges, including
cultural events that will take place in the opera, theatre,
concerts, and of course, in the High Command facilities. You
will receive invitations to special dinners, and I suggest you be
present at all of these privileged events. Your superiors would not
look kindly on you if you neglected to attend them.”
Steiner exhaled. Feeling fortunate and with his ego satisfied,
he regained his composure. “As you can see, Herr Steiner,
this opportunity is due to your knowledge and loyalty to the art
world of the Fatherland.” Hubler paused. “Now we begin with
your duties. You will visit Amsterdam and Brussels. All will be
arranged for you, including accommodation and transportation.
You are already familiar with the directors of the largest museums.
We have checked that you are still an honorary member of
their private collectors’ association. So, it’s good you have kept
your relationships with the gallery owners in good standing due
to your family and your past work for them.” Again he paused,
his eyes looked into Steiner’s, and his speech shifted into a commanding
tone. “You are now officially commissioned to provide
a list detailing the names of paintings in the private collectors’
sector as well as museums by the following artists: Vermeer, Van
Gogh, Rembrandt, and others. To establish a history, this list
must include the names and addresses of the collectors. The German Reich will buy these paintings to be added to our collections
for the future of mankind. As you can see, Peter, you are part of
this future.”
Steiner smiled. His superiors knew well to list his favorite
painters first to ignite his enthusiasm.
Hubler continued, “And wherever you go, you are instructed
to form a separate list of all German artists’ paintings no matter
how insignificant. Sooner, rather than later, Germany will make
substantial offers to repurchase them for the Fatherland — where
they belong. Any future questions you may have must be directed
to me. From now on, I am your superior. That will be all for today.”
With a grin, he handed the attaché case over to Peter. “There is a
file inside. Study it, and follow the instructions.” Hubler pressed
a button on the desk, and a guard appeared. He abruptly guided
Peter outside to a car that was waiting to take him home.
