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.
The monuments men were attached to the division of Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA) which was commanded by the U. S. Army's Civil Affairs and Military Government. As war ravaged around the globe, the Allies felt it was their responsibility to try and safeguard as many cultural treasures as possible, and return looted and stolen art. The group was made of art experts from museums and academia.
Even before the U. S.'s formal declaration of war on the Axis nations in 1941, many in the art world began raising the issue of looting and theft of art and the possible destruction of cultural treasures. In response to an effort by a group lead by the head of the Met in New York, President Roosevelt established the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Historic Monument in War Areas. It was this commission and their findings which lead to the MFAA creation and the monuments men.
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.
The MFAA also discovered many hiding places that the Nazis used for their plunder. Some have called the work the greatest treasure hunt in history, as the team had to follow many leads and explore many difficult to reach locations. One such location was Berchtesgaden in the German Bavarian Alps where the U. S. Army located more than 1,000 paintings, sculptures and other treasures looted by Goring. Over 6,500 paintings where found in a salt mine in Austria.
So you may think all the great adventures of World War Two have been told, but the amazing exploits of the monuments men has only recently been widely publicized. With a new film and a number of documentaries, this once hidden story will now be fully revealed. It is truly an epic saga, involving brave men and women who were dedicated to preserving the world's cultural legacy.
The monuments men were attached to the division of Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFAA) which was commanded by the U. S. Army's Civil Affairs and Military Government. As war ravaged around the globe, the Allies felt it was their responsibility to try and safeguard as many cultural treasures as possible, and return looted and stolen art. The group was made of art experts from museums and academia.
Even before the U. S.'s formal declaration of war on the Axis nations in 1941, many in the art world began raising the issue of looting and theft of art and the possible destruction of cultural treasures. In response to an effort by a group lead by the head of the Met in New York, President Roosevelt established the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Historic Monument in War Areas. It was this commission and their findings which lead to the MFAA creation and the monuments men.
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.
The MFAA also discovered many hiding places that the Nazis used for their plunder. Some have called the work the greatest treasure hunt in history, as the team had to follow many leads and explore many difficult to reach locations. One such location was Berchtesgaden in the German Bavarian Alps where the U. S. Army located more than 1,000 paintings, sculptures and other treasures looted by Goring. Over 6,500 paintings where found in a salt mine in Austria.
So you may think all the great adventures of World War Two have been told, but the amazing exploits of the monuments men has only recently been widely publicized. With a new film and a number of documentaries, this once hidden story will now be fully revealed. It is truly an epic saga, involving brave men and women who were dedicated to preserving the world's cultural legacy.
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