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.
Word of looting and destruction of culturally significant sites was heard in the U. S. Almost from the beginning of the Nazis campaign in Europe. In response, the U. S. Army's Civil Affairs and Military Government division created a special unit. The group was called the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archive (MFAA) division and it was populated with art and history experts from the top universities and museums in the country. Their goal was to safeguard and protect artwork and cultural sites in war theaters.
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.
The group had a number of tasks to perform. As the Allies planned bombing raids, the men would alert the commanders of the locations of culturally significant buildings, sites and areas. This was so that bombing runs could be re-planned to avoid destroying these cultural icons. Ground troops were also alerted to key areas to avoid.
Once Allied ground troops moved into Europe, men of MFAA would be attached to forward units to assess damage. Often they would shore up and temporarily repair structures until more permanent restoration work could be done. The teams would also interview local citizens to get information on missing artwork and try and determine locations of hiding places.
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.
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.
Word of looting and destruction of culturally significant sites was heard in the U. S. Almost from the beginning of the Nazis campaign in Europe. In response, the U. S. Army's Civil Affairs and Military Government division created a special unit. The group was called the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archive (MFAA) division and it was populated with art and history experts from the top universities and museums in the country. Their goal was to safeguard and protect artwork and cultural sites in war theaters.
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.
The group had a number of tasks to perform. As the Allies planned bombing raids, the men would alert the commanders of the locations of culturally significant buildings, sites and areas. This was so that bombing runs could be re-planned to avoid destroying these cultural icons. Ground troops were also alerted to key areas to avoid.
Once Allied ground troops moved into Europe, men of MFAA would be attached to forward units to assess damage. Often they would shore up and temporarily repair structures until more permanent restoration work could be done. The teams would also interview local citizens to get information on missing artwork and try and determine locations of hiding places.
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.
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.
About the Author:
Read more about The Legacy Of World War Two's The Monuments Men visiting our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment