Painting discovered in Berlin junk shop shows madam of notorious Nazi brothel

"Madam Kitty's opulent salon, located in an upscale Berlin neighbourhood, was a den of espionage wired by the Nazis to spy on prominent visitors. "Between 1939 and 1942, diplomats, foreign journalists and even high-ranking Nazi officials were spied on without their knowledge," Urs Brunner, the new owner of the painting, told AFP. A woman who bought the painting on the cheap at a Berlin junk shop in 1999 recently contacted Brunner and fellow author Julia Schrammel."

"The writers had long been searching for the painting, which they knew existed from old photographs. "I wrote to almost every auction house and antique dealer in Berlin. The fact that we found it is very important to us," Schrammel said of their hunt for the painting. "There are only a handful of photos of Kitty, and they are all in black and white.""

An oil portrait of Kitty Schmidt, a notorious brothel madam in Nazi-era Berlin, has been rediscovered and unveiled to the public in Berlin. Her upscale salon was wired by the Nazis and used between 1939 and 1942 to spy on diplomats, foreign journalists and high-ranking officials. The painting had been purchased cheaply at a Berlin junk shop in 1999 and later identified by its buyer, who contacted Urs Brunner and Julia Schrammel. Brunner acquired the painting and says the portrait shows Kitty in her 40s; she was known for dressing well and wearing heavy make-up. It remains unclear whether her collaboration with the Nazis was voluntary.

Read at The Local Germany