Ludwig Pollak
Jewish Czech-Austrian classical archaeologist and art collector (1868-1943) murdered in the Holocaust
About Ludwig Pollak
Lived 1868 – 1943 (aged 74–75). Ludwig Pollak was an Austrian art historian, archaeologist, classical archaeologist, art collector and art dealer.
Ludwig Pollak (14 September 1868 – 1943) was a Czech classical archaeologist, antiquities dealer and director of the Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco. The Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo had correctly suggested that the missing right arms were originally bent back over the shoulder; however, most others disagreed, opting for a reconstructed arm in an heroic extended fashion.
Pollak died on 1943 in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Legacy Ludwig Pollak's story forms the basis of the 2021 German novel, Pollaks Arm by (English translation by Elizabeth Lauffer ). Pollak's genealogy (including his being a descendant of Rabbi Yehuda Löw (the "MAHARAL" of Prague) and family history forms the basis of a chapter of the non-fiction book The Wedding Photo (2018) by Dan A. Oren.
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Important facts
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Ludwig Pollak?
Jewish Czech-Austrian classical archaeologist and art collector (1868-1943) murdered in the Holocaust
When was Ludwig Pollak born?
Ludwig Pollak was born on 14 September 1868 in Prague.
When did Ludwig Pollak die?
Ludwig Pollak died in 1943 in Auschwitz, Oświęcim.
What was Ludwig Pollak's occupation?
Ludwig Pollak was an art historian, archaeologist, classical archaeologist, art collector and art dealer.
What nationality was Ludwig Pollak?
Ludwig Pollak was Austrian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ludwig Pollak. https://biography.guide/ludwig-pollak/
MLA: "Ludwig Pollak." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ludwig-pollak/.
Chicago: "Ludwig Pollak." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ludwig-pollak/.
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