Technologi

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.

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.

In addition to documenting looting and theft, the group also worked with military planners to safeguard sites of cultural important from Allied bombings. Working from reconnaissance photos and local knowledge, pilots were alerted to important locations. This extended to the ground troops once troops entered Europe.

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.

As the Nazis swept through Europe and other countries, they systematically stole vast amounts of art, sculpture and treasure. Crates of these treasures were shipped back to Germany and hidden away. The MFAA was also credited with finding many of these hidden caches and liberating the artwork. It was truly something out of fiction and called the greatest treasure hunt in the history of man. Their detective work took them to the heights of the Bavarian Alps where over 1,000 works looted by Hermann Goering were found and to the depths of an Austrian salt mine where 6,500 works were recovered.

The efforts of the monuments men is a true epic. The men and women of this team quite literally saved a significant part of Europe's cultural identity. Given the renewed interest in their efforts from the George Clooney film, many new books and documentaries will likely be produced. This is one story that fiction cannot top.