So many epic tales have been told about the Second World War that it is hard to believe there is one amazing story that has remained relatively unknown until now. It is the story of the monuments men, a group of over 400 soldiers and civilians who combed Europe to save artwork, sculpture, architecture and other cultural jewels from destruction and theft. The actor and director George Clooney was so taken with their exploits he helmed a feature film project about the group.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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