There have been so many stories told about World War Two that most people assume there would be no more epics about this period of history. But there is a heroic tale about a group that came to be known as the monuments men. This group was tasked with helping to protect the cultural treasures in Europe and other war-ravished areas. It consisted of a about 400 military and civilians and their adventures are right out of a novel. In fact a feature film directed by George Clooney is being released soon.
Widespread looting by occupying forces, primarily the Nazis, and the destruction of significant structures was of major concern. In 1943 the Civil Affairs and Military Government section of the Army created the MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives division). This group was manned by experts in art, architecture and history from the top museums and university in the United States. The reason was simple: safeguard the cultural and artistic treasures in the various theaters of war around the world.
Before the United States entered the war in Europe, art and cultural leaders alerted the public and the government to the theft and destruction of art and sculpture. A Metropolitan Museum of Art director lead an effort to publicize Nazi looting. This lead FDR to create the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Historic Monuments in War Areas. This commission recommended a special division be created, and so the monuments men came into existence.
One very important task the group had to do was to alert Allied bomber pilots to the locations of culturally significant sites, such as monuments, buildings and outdoor sculptures. Using aerial reconnaissance photos, experts would mark and prioritize sites. In some cases bombing plans were completely re-worked to avoid destroying historic sections of a town.
As troops moved into an area and liberated towns, MFAA men would assess the area. In some cases they would even make repairs to damaged structures to keep them safe for future restoration. Also part of their mission was to interview locals to find out if art had been plundered or if the citizens knew of hidden caches of art or treasure. This type of detective work helped uncover much of the stolen artwork.
Literally thousands of art pieces were looted by the Nazis. Countless other pieces not deemed acceptable by the Nazis were destroyed. The monuments men had the unfortunate task of recording this destruction for the world.
One fascinating aspects of MFAA efforts was their work to locate the vast repositories that were used to hide stolen art and treasure. Many have called this work the greatest treasure hunting in history. The hunt took the men to many far flung locations searching for these hidden caches. Hermann Goering's looted treasure of over 1,000 works of art were found in the Bavarian Alps at Berchtesgaden. Another huge find was in a salt mine in Austria where over 6,500 paintings were recovered.
The efforts of the monuments men is a true epic. The men and women of this team quite literally saved a significant part of Europe's cultural identity. Given the renewed interest in their efforts from the George Clooney film, many new books and documentaries will likely be produced. This is one story that fiction cannot top.
Widespread looting by occupying forces, primarily the Nazis, and the destruction of significant structures was of major concern. In 1943 the Civil Affairs and Military Government section of the Army created the MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives division). This group was manned by experts in art, architecture and history from the top museums and university in the United States. The reason was simple: safeguard the cultural and artistic treasures in the various theaters of war around the world.
Before the United States entered the war in Europe, art and cultural leaders alerted the public and the government to the theft and destruction of art and sculpture. A Metropolitan Museum of Art director lead an effort to publicize Nazi looting. This lead FDR to create the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Historic Monuments in War Areas. This commission recommended a special division be created, and so the monuments men came into existence.
One very important task the group had to do was to alert Allied bomber pilots to the locations of culturally significant sites, such as monuments, buildings and outdoor sculptures. Using aerial reconnaissance photos, experts would mark and prioritize sites. In some cases bombing plans were completely re-worked to avoid destroying historic sections of a town.
As troops moved into an area and liberated towns, MFAA men would assess the area. In some cases they would even make repairs to damaged structures to keep them safe for future restoration. Also part of their mission was to interview locals to find out if art had been plundered or if the citizens knew of hidden caches of art or treasure. This type of detective work helped uncover much of the stolen artwork.
Literally thousands of art pieces were looted by the Nazis. Countless other pieces not deemed acceptable by the Nazis were destroyed. The monuments men had the unfortunate task of recording this destruction for the world.
One fascinating aspects of MFAA efforts was their work to locate the vast repositories that were used to hide stolen art and treasure. Many have called this work the greatest treasure hunting in history. The hunt took the men to many far flung locations searching for these hidden caches. Hermann Goering's looted treasure of over 1,000 works of art were found in the Bavarian Alps at Berchtesgaden. Another huge find was in a salt mine in Austria where over 6,500 paintings were recovered.
The efforts of the monuments men is a true epic. The men and women of this team quite literally saved a significant part of Europe's cultural identity. Given the renewed interest in their efforts from the George Clooney film, many new books and documentaries will likely be produced. This is one story that fiction cannot top.
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