Emil Georg Bührle (; 31 August 1890 - 26 November 1956) was a German-born Swiss industrialist, controversial
armament manufacturer and art collector. Bührle was long-term managing owner of
Oerlikon-Bührle
''Oerlikon-Bührle'' (full name ''Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Bührle & Co.'', initially ''Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon'') was a Switzerland, Swiss arms industry, armaments company based in Oerlikon (Zürich) from 1906 to 1999.Jürg Fink ...
and the founding patron of
Foundation E.G. Bührle. By the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Bührle had become
Switzerland's richest man after having been told by the Swiss authorities to not only supply weapons to the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...
but also to
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
.
He was the patriarch of the Bührle family.
Early life and education
Bührle was born 31 August 1890 in
Pforzheim
Pforzheim () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany.
It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the ...
,
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918.
The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...
(presently
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
) to Joseph Bührle, who was a shoemaker turned municipal tax collector, and Rosa Bührle (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Benz). He had an older sister, Mina Bührle (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Bührle; born 1889), who lived modestly in
Kappel, Rhineland-Palatinate where the family is originally from. His younger brother, Wilhelm Bührle (born 1897) became a dentist and lived in
Pforzheim
Pforzheim () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany.
It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the ...
, where the family has relocated to in 1902.
He was raised in the
Old Christ Catholic faith.In 1909, Bührle completed his
Abitur
''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
, and studied at
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg (colloquially ), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The university was founded in 1 ...
majoring in
Art History
Art history is the study of Work of art, artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history.
Tradit ...
and
Literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
before moving to
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
.
Career
Bührle initially served in the Imperial German Army as
cavalry officer during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
from 1914 to 1919. In 1919 he joined the ''Magdeburg Machine and Tool Factory (Magdeburg Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik)'', toda
EMCO Magdeburg GmbHand after becoming an associate became legal representative.
The ''Magdeburger Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik'' bought the
Swiss Machine Tool Factory Oerlikon (''Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon)'' in 1923, and Bührle became the general director the following year. In 1924, he moved to Zurich. In 1929, Bührle became the majority shareholder of the
Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon and in 1936 he became the sole owner of the company (later the
Oerlikon-Bührle Holding AG). In 1937, Bührle obtained
Swiss citizenship.
Bührle's role as an industrialist has been controversial in recent decades due to his ties to
Nazis
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
. Although he converted the almost bankrupt ''Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik
Oerlikon'' into a thriving company, his main business became arms production and export. Before the second world war the Oerlikon-Bührle company supplied the
Republicans in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
(i.e.
Franco opponents), the independent
Abyssinia
Abyssinia (; also known as Abyssinie, Abissinia, Habessinien, or Al-Habash) was an ancient region in the Horn of Africa situated in the northern highlands of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.Sven Rubenson, The survival of Ethiopian independence, ...
(in the colonial war against fascist
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
), and several
Baltic countries
The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...
,
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
,
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. In the period from 1940 to 1944, with Switzerland then completely surrounded by fascist countries (Italy, Germany) and fascist-occupied countries (Austria, France), and at the request of the Swiss government, the company supplied weapons to Germany and Italy. In the post-war years, Emil Bührle and the Oerlikon-Bührle company were involved in illegal weapons deals on a large-scale, smuggling arms to
Hyderabad
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
, Pakistan and other countries.
The following foundations are attributed to Emil Bührle: ''Emil Bührle Foundation for the Swiss literature'' (1943), ''Goethe Foundation for Art and Science'' (1944) and the ''Foundation of the cultivation of the Kunsthaus Zürich'' (1954).
E. G. Bührle Foundation (Art Collection)
Bührle's first acquisitions were two 1920 watercolours by
Erich Heckel
Erich Heckel (31 July 1883 – 27 January 1970) was a German people, German Painting, painter and printmaker, and a founding member of the group ''Die Brücke'' ("The Bridge") which existed 1905–1913. His work was part of the art competition ...
, followed in 1924 by a picture of
Maurice de Vlaminck. The present day make up of the Bührle collection started in 1936, when financial conditions were very favourable.
Nazi-era acquisitions
The American
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the first intelligence agency of the United States, formed during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines ...
Art Looting Investigation Unit Reports 1945-46, state that during the Nazi era, Bührle was an "important recipient of looted works of art by purchase from
Fischer
Fischer is a German occupational surname, meaning fisherman. The name Fischer is the fourth most common German surname. The English version is Fisher.
People with the surname A
* Abraham Fischer (1850–1913) South African public official
* ...
and
Wendland".

Between 1940 and 1944 Emil Georg Bührle's arms dealing increased his fortune from 140,000 to 127,000,000 Swiss Francs (roughly $6 billion in 2015 U.S. dollars), which he used for art-buying sprees in Nazi-occupied Paris, forming the core of his collection. Bührle bought many artworks through the dealers Siegfried Rosengart,
Fritz Nathan and
Toni Aktuaryus as well as other dealers.
Post-war
After World War II, Bührle continued to be advised by
Fritz Nathan, a gallery owner, and a small circle of international dealers in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, in addition to which included
Georges Wildenstein,
Paul Rosenberg, , and
Frank Lloyd
Frank William George Lloyd (2 February 1886 – 10 August 1960) was a Scottish-American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He was among the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was its president from ...
of the
Marlborough Gallery.
The collection includes medieval sculptures and old masters, mainly French
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
and classical
modernism
Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
, including masterpieces by
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...
(''
The Boy in the Red Vest''),
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; ; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French people, French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionism, Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially femininity, fe ...
(''
La petite Irène'') and
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...
(''
The Sower (after Millet)'').
Bührle continued the tradition of collectors in Germany, Scandinavia, Britain and the US, who—before the First World War and in the inter-war years—centred their interest on French modernism. An example of this trend in Switzerland is the "Am Römerholz" collection by
Oskar Reinhart in nearby
Winterthur
Winterthur (; ) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. With over 120,000 residents, it is the country's List of cities in Switzerland, sixth-largest city by population, as well as its ninth-largest agglomeration with about 14 ...
. Two-thirds of the collection now displayed were acquired in 1960 by the heirs to the E.G. Bührle Foundation, and later put on display. The other family-owned works of art were often shown in exhibitions. An exhibition featuring several works of the collection in 1990 in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, led to protests and discussions in the media due to Bührle's role as a weapons exporter in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the sometimes unclear origin of the pictures, some of which were formerly
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
-owned. Following the findings of an "Independent Commission of Swiss Second World War Experts", Bührle had to return 13 paintings of French-Jewish origin to their former owners or their second-generation descendants.
In 2021 an extension to the
Kunsthaus in Zürich, Switzerland's largest art museum, opened, with almost an entire floor dedicated to paintings and sculptures on 20-year loan from the Bührle Foundation. This drew criticism due to Bührle's Nazi-era weapons dealings, and his use of forced labour and child labour in his factories at the time. Up to 90 of the works loaned to the Kunsthaus are thought possibly to have been acquired illegitimately from Jews; historian Erich Keller said "We need independent research into the art's provenances, and then consider which of these paintings really belong in the Kunsthaus and which need to be given back." The Bührle Foundation's director responded that "The approximately 90 works are works for which no complete provenance is known, but for which there is also no reason to assume a problematic provenance".
[
]
Personal life
In 1920, Bührle married Charlotte Schalk, who was from a prominent Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river.
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...
banking family. His father in-law was banker Ernst Schalk, who acted as key person in his career of acquiring Oerlikon. Through his affiliation with the Schalk family he was able to use their family wealth to take-over the company. The couple had two children;
* Ernst Joseph Sylvester Dietrich, known as Dieter Bührle (December 31, 1921 - November 9, 2012), who had one son and one daughter
* Isabella Katharina Alix Hortense, known as Hortense Anda-Bührle (May 18, 1926 - May 16, 2014), who was married to Géza Anda
Géza Anda (; 19 November 192113 June 1976) was a Swiss- Hungarian pianist. A celebrated interpreter of classical and romantic repertoire, particularly noted for his performances and recordings of Mozart, he was also considered to be a tremendous ...
, and had one son Gratian Anda
The family resided at today's location of Foundation E. G. Bührle in Zürich-Riesbach. In 1937, the Bührle family was naturalized as Swiss citizens, in the city of Zurich.
Death
Bührle died November 26, 1956, aged 66 at University Hospital of Zürich
The University Hospital of Zürich (, USZ) is one of five university hospitals in Switzerland.
The first hospital in Zürich, from which the current hospital derives, is recorded as having existed as early as 1204. The name, location and build ...
from heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood.
Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...
. He was buried in Rüschlikon
Rüschlikon is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Horgen District, Horgen in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Zürich (canton), Zürich in Switzerland. It is located on the west shore of Lake Zürich.
Coat of ar ...
.
Literature
*Provenance research by the Emil Bührle Collection, Zurich, 2002–2021 Christen, Ruedi: ''Die Bührle-Saga.'' Zürich 1981
*Esther Tisa Francini, Anja Heuss, Georg Kreis: ''Fluchtgut – Raubgut. Der Transfer von Kulturgütern in und über die Schweiz 1933–1945 und die Frage der Restitution.'' Zürich 2001
*Gloor, Lukas: ''Stiftung Sammlung E. G. Bührle: Katalog I–III.'' Silvana 2004–2005, (1), (2), (3).
*Gloor, Lukas: ''Bührle collection : Impressionist masterpieces from the E.G.Buehrle collection, Zurich (Switzerland)''. Tokyo: The National Art Center (2018). .
*Heller, Daniel: ''Zwischen Unternehmertum, Politik und Überleben. Emil G. Bührle und die Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Bührle & Co. 1924–1945.'' Frauenfeld, Stuttgart & Wien 2002
* Hug, Peter: ''Schweizer Rüstungsindustrie und Kriegsmaterialhandel zur Zeit des Nationalsozialismus: Unternehmensstrategien – Marktentwicklung – politische Überwachung.'' Zürich 2002
*Katalog Washington D.C.: ''The Passionate Eye, Impressionist and other Master Paintings from the E. G. Bührle Collection.'' Zürich 1990
*Emil Maurer: ''Stiftung Sammlung E. G. Bührle, Zürich.'' Bern 1992
References
External links
* Official Foundation E.G. Bührle Website i
German
an
in English
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buhrle, Emil Georg
1890 births
People from Pforzheim
1956 deaths
Arms traders
German Army personnel of World War I
20th-century Swiss businesspeople
Swiss collaborators with Nazi Germany
Swiss patrons of the arts
Swiss art collectors
German emigrants to Switzerland
War criminals of World War II