Why did the Nazis remove Oskar Kokoschka’s art from German museums in 1937?

In 1937, the Nazi Party removed Oskar Kokoschka’s works from German museums because they labeled his art as "degenerate art."1

The Nazis used the term "degenerate" to describe any contemporary art that did not align with their political ideals or support the aesthetic of Nazism. This systematic suppression was part of a broader campaign to disparage modern art, which the regime characterized as decadent and linked to Bolsheviks and Jewish influence.2

By branding artists like Kokoschka as degenerate, the Nazi Party sought to enforce a state-approved style focused on themes of heroism and duty, while subjecting the confiscated works to public ridicule in propaganda exhibitions. This policy was fundamentally unethical, as it weaponized state power to censor creative expression, persecute artists, and destroy cultural heritage based on hateful, exclusionary ideologies.23