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.
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.
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.
MFAA men would be assigned to forward ground troops and often preceded troops into cities, towns and villages to document damage. In some cases they made temporary repairs to structures, monuments and sculptures so further damage was limited. They were also tasked with locating hidden art and treasures by interviewing and working with local officials and citizens.
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.
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.
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.
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.
MFAA men would be assigned to forward ground troops and often preceded troops into cities, towns and villages to document damage. In some cases they made temporary repairs to structures, monuments and sculptures so further damage was limited. They were also tasked with locating hidden art and treasures by interviewing and working with local officials and citizens.
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.
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