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The letters exchanged between painter Hans Purrmann and the art historians, married couple Barbara and Erhard Göpel, open up fresh perspectives on the art world and society of post-war Germany. The 280 previously unpublished letters also trace the genesis of the book “Leben und Meinungen des Malers Hans Purrmann” (The Life and Opinions of the Painter Hans Purrmann), edited by the couple and published in 1961. The correspondence provides significant new insights into the artistic and art-political issues of that era. Not least, the material facilitates a reassessment of Erhard Göpel’s engagement with contemporary art after 1950 against the backdrop of his involvement in Nazi art theft.

• First publication of the correspondence
• Art, politics and society during the post-war period in Germany
• Max Beckmann and Germany