Robert M. Edsel - Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History

Every documented quotation in The Monuments Men has been referenced in the chapter notes. Most of the dialogue that appears without a chapter note has been culled from research by the authors in order to provide a sense of immediacy within a historically accurate context. While the actual words may not be direct quotes, the facts are documented.

Copyright 2009 by Robert M. Edsel

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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First eBook Edition: September 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59995-265-9

To my mother Norma, aunt Marilyn, and son Diego

The memory of my father and uncle, A. Ray Edsel and Ron B. Wright, both veterans

And the Monuments Men and women, whose heroic efforts preserved so much of the beauty we enjoy today

Whatever these paintings may have been to men who looked at them a generation backtoday they are not only works of art. Today they are the symbols of the human spirit, and of the world the freedom of the human spirit made. To accept this work today is to assert the purpose of the people of America that the freedom of the human spirit and human mind which has produced the worlds great art and all its scienceshall not be utterly destroyed.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, dedication ceremony of the National Gallery of Art, March 17, 1941

It used to be called plundering. But today things have become more humane. In spite of that, I intend to plunder, and to do it thoroughly.

Reichsmarschall Hermann Gring, speaking to a conference of Reich Commissioners for the Occupied Territories and the Military Commanders, Berlin, August 6, 1942

M ost of us are aware that World War II was the most destructive war in history. We know of the horrific loss of life; weve seen images of the devastated European cities. Yet how many among us have walked through a majestic museum such as the Louvre, enjoyed the solitude of a towering cathedral such as Chartres, or gazed upon a sublime painting such as Leonardo da Vincis Last Supper, and wondered, How did so many monuments and great works of art survive this war? Who were the people that saved them?

The major events of World War IIPearl Harbor, D-Day, the Battle of the Bulgehave become as much a part of our collective conscience as the names of the books and filmsBand of Brothers, The Greatest Generation, Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers Listand the writers, directors, and actorsAmbrose, Brokaw, Spielberg, Hankswho brought these epic events and the heroism of that time to life for us once again.

But what if I told you there was a major story about World War II that hasnt been told, a significant story at the heart of the entire war effort, involving the most unlikely group of heroes youve never heard of? What if I told you there was a group of men on the front lines who quite literally saved the world as we know it; a group that didnt carry machine guns or drive tanks, who werent official statesmen; men who not only had the vision to understand the grave threat to the greatest cultural and artistic achievements of civilization, but then joined the front lines to do something about it?

These unknown heroes were known as the Monuments Men, a group of soldiers who served in the Western Allied military effort from 1943 until 1951. Their initial responsibility was to mitigate combat damage, primarily to structureschurches, museums, and other important monuments. As the war progressed and the German border was breached, their focus shifted to locating movable works of art and other cultural items stolen or otherwise missing. During their occupation of Europe, Hitler and the Nazis pulled off the greatest theft in history, seizing and transporting more than five million cultural objects to the Third Reich. The Western Allied effort, spearheaded by the Monuments Men, thus became the greatest treasure hunt in history, with all the unimaginable and bizarre stories that only war can produce. It was also a race against time, for hidden in the most incredible locations, some of which have inspired modern-day popular icons like Sleeping Beautys Castle at Disneyland and The Sound of Music, were tens of thousands of the worlds greatest artistic masterpieces, many stolen by the Nazis, including priceless paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Jan Vermeer, and Rembrandt, and sculptures by Michelangelo and Donatello. And some of the Nazi fanatics holding them were intent on making sure that if the Third Reich couldnt have them, the rest of the world wouldnt either.

In the end, 350 or so men and women from thirteen nations served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section (MFAA)a remarkably small number in a fighting force numbering into the millions. However, there were only sixty or so Monuments Men serving in Europe by the end of combat (May 8, 1945), most of whom were American or British. Monuments-laden Italy had just twenty-two Monuments officers. Within the first several months after D-Day (June 6, 1944), fewer than a dozen Monuments Men were on the ground in Normandy. Another twenty-five were gradually added until the end of hostilities, with the awesome responsibility of covering all of northern Europe. It seemed an impossible assignment.

My original plan for this book was to tell the story of the Monuments Mens activities throughout Europe, concentrating on events from June 1944 to May 1945 through the experiences of just eight Monuments Men who served on the front linesplus two key figures, including one womanusing their field journals, diaries, wartime reports, and most importantly their letters home to wives, children, and family members during combat. Because of the vastness of the story and my determination to faithfully convey it, the final manuscript became so lengthy that it regrettably became necessary to exclude from this book the Monuments Mens activities in Italy. I have used northern Europemainly France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Austriaas a crucible for understanding the Monuments effort.

Monuments officers Deane Keller and Frederick Hartt, both American, and John Bryan Ward-Perkins, who was British, and others experienced incredible events during their difficult work in Italy. Our research unearthed insightful and moving letters home that detailed the sometimes overwhelming responsibility they faced to protect this irreplaceable cradle of civilization. I will be including these heroes memorable experiences in Italy, using many of their own words, in a subsequent book.

I have taken the liberty of creating dialogue for continuity, but in no instance does it concern matters of substance and in all cases it is based on extensive documentation. I have at all times tried not only to understand and communicate the facts, but also the personalities and perspectives of the people involved, as well as their perception of events at the very instant they occurred. With the advantage of hindsight, these can be quite different from our opinions; thus one of the great challenges of history. Any errors in judgment are mine alone.

At its heart,