The article examines the 1937 Nazi-organized 'Degenerate Art Show' (Entartete Kunst) in Munich, which displayed hundreds of works by Modern artists like George Grosz, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee as examples of moral and cultural corruption. It traces the concept's origins to late-19th-century Social Darwinism and the Nazis' obsession with cultural purity, noting that the show was the culmination of years of escalating attacks on modern art, including the firing of museum directors and the forced exile of artists after Hitler took power in 1933.
The article argues that the 'Degenerate Art Show' remains a powerful historical reference point, frequently invoked in contemporary debates about right-wing attacks on museums and cultural institutions. It warns that such repressive moments do not arrive suddenly but emerge from a series of incremental emergencies and setbacks, making the history relevant for understanding current threats to artistic freedom and institutional independence.