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.
When the European war began in 1939, many art organizations and private citizens raised the issue of cultural monument destruction, and art looting. Efforts lead by the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York resulted in FDR establishing the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage and Historic Monuments in War Areas. This is what ultimately lead to the special division that came to be known as 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.
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.
The Nazis were systematic and prolific looters of cultural treasures and artwork of Europe. Unfortunately they also destroyed countless art and sculpture they found to be unacceptable by their standards. Part of the job the monuments men did was too determine what pieces survived and which had been destroyed.
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.
When the European war began in 1939, many art organizations and private citizens raised the issue of cultural monument destruction, and art looting. Efforts lead by the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York resulted in FDR establishing the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage and Historic Monuments in War Areas. This is what ultimately lead to the special division that came to be known as 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.
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.
The Nazis were systematic and prolific looters of cultural treasures and artwork of Europe. Unfortunately they also destroyed countless art and sculpture they found to be unacceptable by their standards. Part of the job the monuments men did was too determine what pieces survived and which had been destroyed.
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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