Notes from a Collector

In 1949, Count Karl von Luxburg recorded descriptions and dates of the artworks he had acquired in East Asia in a school exercise book.

After the death of Count Friedrich, Countess Luise managed Aschach Castle with the support of her son, Count Karl, and his wife, Countess Carola.

For many years, Count Karl had to do without the artworks he had acquired in China and Japan. When he left China in 1912 to represent the German Empire in British India, he had his acquisitions transported to India to furnish his new residence. During the First World War (1914-1918), Count Karl left British India and was transferred to Argentina in 1914. In the meantime, his property had been confiscated by the British. It was not until the 1920s that Count Karl received his East Asian objects back. From then on, he expanded the collection at Aschach Castle with his new acquisitions.

During the Second World War (1939-1945), the von Luxburg couple relocated their main residence to Argentina. Due to fortunate circumstances, Aschach Castle was spared from significant destruction or looting during and after the war. When Count Karl returned to Aschach at the end of the 1940s, he wrote his "Inventar chinesischer etc. Sachen von Karl Luxburg, 9. August 1949" (Karl Luxburg’s things, August 9, 1949, Aschach Castle). In this inventory, he listed the various objects for each room in the castle, providing brief descriptions and measurements.