Leopold Popper-Podhragy
Leopold Popper-Podhragy | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1886 Austria |
| Died | January 17, 1986 (aged 99) |
| Occupation(s) | Private banker, art collector |
| Known for | Art collection seized by Nazi regime |
Leopold Popper-Podhragy (17 September 1886 – 17 January 1986) was an Austrian private banker and collector of art whose possessions were seized by the Nazi regime.
Life
Leopold was the firstborn son of the Jewish timber magnate Alexander Freiherr Popper von Podhragy and the French opera singer Blanche Marchesi. His name was probably given in honor of his grandfather, Leopold Freiherr Popper von Podhragy.
In 1919, he wed the celebrated opera singer Maria Jeritza. Five years later, in 1924, they acquired the rundown Hatzlhof estate located in Unternberg, St. Corona am Wechsel. Between 1924 and 1926, they developed the property by constructing a Maierhof and Unternberg Castle. Their art collection grew substantially, featuring pieces by artists such as Waldmüller, including Gebirgslandschaft mit Haus.
Nazi Persecution
After Austria's incorporation into Nazi Germany, Popper-Podhragy was designated as a "half-Jew" and subjected to several arrests by the Gestapo. His assets were seized under Nazi guardianship laws. On 15 July 1939, he managed to flee to London via Paris. Following his flight, he was condemned to death in absentia, and most of his belongings were forcibly transferred through Aryanization.
Leopold had two siblings: Ernst (1891–1978) and Fritz. Ernst was deported to Dachau concentration camp but escaped to the United States after his release. Fritz survived the period but permanently lost his residence. Collectively, the brothers owned nearly half of Schafberg; during the Nazi era, their holdings were placed under "absent guardianship" or controlled by "disposition agents," enabling local authorities to acquire these assets at significantly reduced prices.
Postwar
Returning from exile in England in 1951, Leopold Popper-Podhragy came back to Austria but was able to reclaim only a small portion of his previous wealth. He entered into a second marriage with Maria Bachner from Neunkirchen. At the age of 96, in 1983, he sold Unterberg Castle along with his other properties in St. Corona am Wechsel and thereafter lived exclusively in Vienna.
Awards
- 1928 Honorary Citizen of St. Corona am Wechsel
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1986 deaths
- 1886 births
- Austrian bankers
- Businesspeople from Vienna
- Austrian art collectors
- Jewish art collectors
- Jewish emigrants from Austria after the Anschluss to the United Kingdom
- Subjects of Nazi art appropriations