Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program
Formation | 1943 |
---|---|
Dissolved | 1946 |
Parent organization | Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the Allied armies |
The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section Unit (MFAA) was a program established by the
Some of them are portrayed and honored in the 2014 film The Monuments Men.
Many of the men and women of the MFAA, also known as "Monuments Men", went on to have prolific careers. Largely art historians and museum personnel, many of the American members of the group had formative roles in the growth of the United States’ most prominent cultural institutions, including the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the New York City Ballet. Members from other allied powers, such as the United Kingdom and France, also found post-war success in museums and other institutions across the world.
Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, a US non-profit founded by American author and philanthropist Robert M. Edsel was created with the stated mission of preserving the legacy of those who served in the MFAA.[1] The Foundation seeks to further the mission of the MFAA by recovering Nazi looted artworks, documents, and other cultural objects and returning them to their rightful owners.[2] Monuments men and women have worked directly with the Foundation, including Harry L. Ettlinger and Motoko Fujishiro Huthwaite.
Formation
Even before the U.S. entered World War II, art professionals and organizations such as the American Defense Harvard Group and the
What began as a brain trust of the art world’s finest during the war became a group of 345 men and women from 13 countries that comprised the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section unit. They spent 1945 seeking out more than 1,000 troves containing an estimated 5 million pieces of artwork and cultural items stolen from wealthy Jews, museums, universities, and religious institutions. For six years after the surrender, a smaller group of about 60 Monuments Men continued scouring Europe as art detectives.[3]
Commonly referred to as the
The Commission helped establish the MFAA branch within the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the Allied armies, led by Major L. Bancel LaFarge. After the war, the Roberts Commission helped the MFAA and Allied Forces return Nazi-confiscated artworks to rightful owners. It also promoted public awareness of looted cultural works. The group was dissolved in June 1946, when the State Department took over its duties and functions.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower facilitated the work of the MFAA by forbidding looting, destruction, and billeting in structures of cultural significance. He also repeatedly ordered his forces to assist the MFAA as much as possible. This was the first time in history an army attempted to fight a war and at the same time reduce damage to cultural monuments and property:
Prior to this war, no army had thought of protecting the monuments of the country in which and with which it was at war, and there were no precedents to follow.... All this was changed by a general order issued by Supreme Commander-in-Chief [General Eisenhower] just before he left Algiers, an order accompanied by a personal letter to all Commanders...the good name of the Army depended in great measure on the respect which it showed to the art heritage of the modern world.
— Lt. Col. Sir Leonard Woolley, Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Officer[4]
War operations
As Allied Forces made their way through Europe, liberating
When damage to monuments did occur, MFAA personnel worked to assess it and buy time for the eventual restoration work that would follow. Monuments officer
Countless other monuments, churches, and works of art were saved or protected by personnel of the MFAA section, whose dedication to their work would frequently draw them ahead of battle lines. Entering liberated towns and cities ahead of ground troops, Monuments Men worked quickly to assess damage and make temporary repairs before moving on with Allied Armies as they conquered Nazi territory.
Two monuments officers were killed in Europe, both near the front lines of the Allied advance into Germany. Captain Walter Huchthausen, an American scholar and architect attached to the
Art repositories
American and allied forces in Europe discovered hidden caches of priceless treasures. While many were the product of looting by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, others had been legitimately evacuated from museums, churches, public buildings, and elsewhere for safekeeping. Monuments Men oversaw the safeguarding, cataloguing, removal and packing of all works from all these repositories.
In Italy, museum officials had sent their holdings to various countryside locations such as the
Beginning in late March 1945, Allied forces began discovering these hidden repositories in what became the "greatest treasure hunt in history". In Germany alone, U.S. forces found about 1,500 repositories of art and cultural objects looted from institutions and individuals across Europe, as well as German and Austrian museum collections that had been evacuated for safekeeping. Soviet forces also made discoveries, such as treasures from the extraordinary
Some of the repositories discovered by Monuments Men in Germany, Austria, and Italy were:
- Berchtesgaden, Germany: The 101st Airborne Division, known as the "Screaming Eagles", found more than 1,000 paintings and sculptures stolen by German Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. The cache had been transferred from his country estate, Carinhall, and moved to Berchtesgaden in April 1945.
- , Germany, which had been hidden behind a locked door and a brick wall nearly five feet thick. The site was originally used as an ammunition and military supply complex manned by hundreds of slave laborers.
- Nazi concentration campvictims.
- Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, Alfred Rosenberg’s task force that handled the "legalized" looting of Jews) from private collectors in France were found here, including furniture, jewelry (see Nazi gold), paintings and other belongings. Monuments Man Capt. James Rorimeroversaw the evacuation of the repository, which also held ERR documents.
- Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring) at Monte Cassinoin Italy.
- San Leonardo, Italy: In the jail cell of this far northern town, Allied officials discovered paintings from the Uffizi that had been hurriedly unloaded by retreating German troops. Among the masterpieces were paintings by Sandro Botticelli, Filippo Lippi and Giovanni Bellini.
Restitution
In addition to preserving and cataloguing stolen and displaced treasures, MFAA efforts established pathways for
Central Collecting Points
Centralized collection depots began being established in the immediate aftermath of the war. In early May 1945,
The first Central Collecting Point (CCP), the
In summer 1945, Capt. Walter Farmer became the Wiesbaden Collecting Point's first director. When his superiors ordered that he send to the U.S. 202 German-owned paintings in his custody, Farmer and 35 others who were in charge of the Wiesbaden collection point gathered to draw up what has become known as the Wiesbaden manifesto on 7 November 1945, declaring "We wish to state that, from our own knowledge, no historical grievance will rankle so long or be the cause of so much justified bitterness as the removal for any reason of a part of the heritage of any nation even if that heritage may be interpreted as a prize of war." Among the co-signers was Lt. Charles Percy Parkhurst of the U.S. Navy.[11][12]
Once an object arrived at a collecting point, it was recorded, photographed, studied, and sometimes conserved so that it could be returned to its country of origin as soon as possible. Some objects were easily identifiable and could be quickly returned, such as the
- Marburg Central Collecting Point: Monuments officer Walker Hancock established at the end of World War II the first Collecting Point for art depots in central Germany with the help of German institutions. After one year, in the middle of August 1946, the institution was dissolved and the remaining objects were moved to Wiesbaden.
- Munich Central Collecting Point: Monuments officer Lt. Craig Hugh Smyth established the Munich CCP in July 1945. He converted the former Führerbau, which housed Hitler’s office, into a functional art depot complete with photography studios and conservation labs. This facility primarily housed art stolen by the ERR from private collections and Hitler’s collection found at Altaussee.
- Wiesbaden Central Collecting Point: Monuments officer Capt. Walter Farmer helped establish this facility in July 1945. Art from the Berlin museums and other items found in the mines at Merkers were processed here. Museum collections stored at Siegen and Grasleben also were sent to Wiesbaden.
- Holocaustleaving no one alive to pursue claims. The facility was closed in 1948 and its remaining unclaimed items were transferred to Wiesbaden.
Occupation of Japan
As the war neared its end in Japan in 1945, Monuments Men George Stout and Major Laurence Sickman recommended creating an MFAA division there. Consequently, the Arts and Monuments Division of the Civil Information and Education Section of GHQ of the Supreme Command of the Allied Powers in Tokyo was established. Stout was the Chief of the Division from about August 1945 until the middle of 1946.[13]
Langdon Warner, archaeologist and curator of Oriental art at Harvard’s Fogg Museum, advised the MFAA Section in Japan from April to September 1946. Other members included Howard Hollis, Lt. Col. Harold Gould Henderson, Lt. Sherman Lee, and Lt. Patrick Lennox Tierney.[13][14][15]
MFAA personnel
The American museum establishment led the efforts to create the MFAA section. Its members included museum directors, curators, and art historians, as well as those who aspired to join their ranks. Many major museums employed one or more MFAA officers before or after the war, including the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Many other Monuments Men were or became professors at esteemed universities such as
Upon returning home from service overseas, many former MFAA personnel led the creation or improvement of some of the leading cultural institutions in the United States. MFAA personnel became founders, presidents, and members of cultural institutions such as the New York City Ballet, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the American Association of Museums, the American Association of Museum Directors, the Archaeological Institute of America, the Society of Architectural Historians, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as respected artists, architects, musicians, and archivists.
Several portraits of British Monuments Men and Women are in the permanent collection of National Portrait Gallery, London.
Awards
- 2007 National Humanities Medal, was awarded to the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art on behalf of the US.
- 2009 honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, by MassArt [17]
- On May 19, 2014, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass the Monuments Men Recognition Act of 2013, a bill that would award the Monuments Men a Congressional Gold Medal "in recognition of their heroic role in the preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and artifacts of cultural importance during and following" World War II.[18] Representatives praised the Monuments Men for preserving cultural heritage.[19] The award was given after several years of tireless work on the part of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, and its founder Robert M. Edsel.[20]
2014 film
The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program is the subject of the 2014
See also
- Art repatriation
- Art theft and looting during World War II
- Counterintelligence Corps
References
Notes
- ^ "Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art". National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Archived from the original on July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Monuments Men Foundation I World War II I Art Preservation I Art". MonumentsMenFdn. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023.
- ^ Strochlic, Nina (February 8, 2014). "Where the Nazis Hid Their Art: The Castle Behind 'Monuments Men'". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ISBN 978-0-7486-1285-7. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
Prior to this war, no army had thought of protecting the monuments of the country.
- ^ Edsel, Robert M. (2009). The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. New York: Center Street. pp. 284-6.
- ^ Edsel, (2009), pp. 242-5.
- ^ "When Montegufoni Sheltered Uffizi Masterpieces During The War". www.posarellivillas.com. January 20, 2017. Archived from the original on September 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Brey, Ilaria Dagnini (January 2014). "How the Monuments Men Saved Italy's Treasures". Smithsonian. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023.
- ISBN 9780804180948.
- ISBN 978-3-88964-224-0
- ISBN 978-3-11-016897-6.
- ^ Howe Jr., Thomas C. (1946). Salt mines and castles: The discovery and restitution of looted European art. Indiana: Bobbs-Merrill Co.
- ^ a b Ueno, Rihoko (October 29, 2012). "Monuments Men in Japan: Discoveries in the George Leslie Stout papers". Archives of American Art. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
- ^ Weber, Bruce (July 11, 2008). "Sherman Lee, Who Led Cleveland Museum, Dies at 90". The New York Times.
- ^ Kappes, John (July 9, 2008). "Sherman Lee, who led the Cleveland Museum of Art to global renown, dead at 90". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland.
- ^ Kinzer, Stephen (March 31, 2004). "LEGACY; One College's Long Shadow: Looking Back at the 'Williams Mafia'". New York Times. Section G Page 10. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ "War & Art: A Tribute to The Monuments Men". MassArt Library Blog. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "H.R. 3658 - Summary". United States Congress. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ Marcos, Cristina (May 19, 2014). "House votes to award medals to 'Monuments Men,' Jack Nicklaus". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
- ^ "Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for Monuments Men | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org.
- ^ Shaw, Lucas (October 24, 2012). "Sony to Split George Clooney Drama 'Monuments Men' With Fox". TheWrap. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
Bibliography
- Albergoni, Attilio. La Guerra dell'Arte Edited by Navarra editore - Soprintendenza ai Beni Culturali e Ambientali Regione Siciliana Palermo - Palermo 2017
- Bell, H. E. and Jenkinson, Hilary. Italian Archives During the War and at Its Close. Edited by the British Committee on the Preservation and Restitution of Works of Art, Archives and Other Material in Enemy Hands. London: HMSO 1947.
- Boi, Marta M. Guerra e beni culturali, Giardini editore (Pisa,1986)
- Coccoli, Carlotta. "Repertorio dei fondi dell’Archivio Centrale dello Stato relativi alla tutela dei monumenti italiani dalle offese belliche nella seconda guerra mondiale" in Treccani, Gian Paolo (a cura di), Monumenti alla guerra. Città, danni bellici e ricostruzione nel secondo dopoguerra, Milano, Franco Angeli Storia Urbana, pp. 303–329.
- Coccoli, Carlotta. "Il destino del patrimonio artistico bresciano durante la seconda guerra mondiale", in Civiltà Bresciana, anno XIX, n. 2, giugno 2010, pp. 127–148.
- Coccoli, Carlotta. "'First Aid and Repairs' il ruolo degli Alleati nella salvaguardia dei monumenti italiani", in ‘ANATKH n. 62/2011, pp. 13–23.
- Coccoli, Carlotta. "Danni bellici e restauro dei monumenti italiani: orientamenti di lettura", in Coccoli, Carlotta and Venezia, Marsilio (eds.) Guerra, monumenti, ricostruzione. Architetture e centri storici italiani nel secondo conflitto mondiale, a cura di Lorenzo de Stefani(2011_, pp. 685–688
- Edsel, Robert M. Rescuing Da Vinci: Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe’s Great Art, America and her Allies Recovered It (Dallas, 2006)
- Edsel, Robert M. Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. Preface Publishing, 2009.
- Edsel, Robert M. Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis. W. W. Norton & Company, 2013.
- Edsel, Robert M. The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History: the Story of the Monuments Men Scholastic Inc, 2019.
- "Fifty war-damaged monuments of Italy", Istituto poligrafico dello Stato, (Roma, 1946)
- Jelusić, Marko. "Ein Zufluchtsort für weltbekannte Kunst. Bad Wildungen als Bergungsdepot für das Landesmuseum und das Kestner-Museum Hannover während des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Hannoversche Geschichtsblätter 65 (2011). 111-134. ISBN 3775259651
- Kurtz, Michael J. America and the Return of Nazi Contraband (Cambridge, 2006)
- O'Connor, Anne-Marie. (2012). The Lady in Gold, The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, ISBN 0-307-26564-1.
- Paolucci, Stefano. I Monuments Men ai Colli Albani. La protezione dei beni culturali in tempo di guerra. Vicende e documenti (1943-1948). Passamonti Editore, 2020. ISBN 978-1657013162.
- Paolucci, Stefano. I "Monuments Men" ai Colli Albani: la protezione dei beni culturali in tempo di guerra. Vicende e documenti (1943-1948), in "Bollettino della Unione Storia ed Arte", s. III, n. 11, gennaio-dicembre 2016, pp. 35-74.
- Paolucci, Stefano. Il capitano Deane Keller: un "Monuments Man" ai Castelli Romani, in "Castelli Romani", LVI, n. 3, maggio-giugno 2016, pp. 79-85.
- Rasch, Marco (2021). Das Marburger Staatsarchiv als Central Collecting Point. Mit Beiträgen von Tanja Bernsau, Susanne Dörler, Sonja Feßel, Iris Lauterbach und Katrin Marx-Jaskulski. Begleitband zur gleichnamigen Ausstellung im Hessischen Staatsarchiv, Marburg, Schriften des Hessischen Staatsarchivs 39. ISBN 978-3-88964-224-0
- Roberts Commission, Report on the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas (Washington, 1946)
- Simpson, Elizabeth (ed.) The Spoils of War. World War II and its Aftermath: The Loss, Reappearance, and Recovery of Cultural Property (New York, 1997).
- United States War Department. "Civil Affairs Information Guide: Field Protection of Objects of Art and Archives". War Department Pamphlet Nr. 31-103.
- United States War Department. "Preservation and Use of Key Records in Germany". War Department Pamphlet Nr. 31-123.
Further reading
- Coccoli, Carlotta (2017) Monumenti violati. Danni bellici e riparazioni in Italia nel 1943-1945: il ruolo degli Alleati, Nardini ISBN 978-88-404-4453-6
- Dagnini Brey, Ilaria (2010) The Venus Fixers: The Remarkable Story of the Allied Soldiers Who Saved Italy's Art During World War II, Picador ISBN 9780312429904
- Eckert, Astrid M. (2012). The Struggle for the Files: The Western Allies and the Return of German Archives after the Second World War. New York, Cambridge University Press, ch. I. ISBN 978-0521880183
- Flanner, Janet (1947) Men and Monuments. New York: Harper. (Reissued as paperback 1990: ISBN 978-0306804175).;
- Nicholas, Lynn H. (May 1995) [1994]. OCLC 32531154.
External links
- Roberts Commission Records, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
- Records Concerning the Central Collecting Points, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
- Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art
- Offenbach Archival Depot, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Nazi-era Provenance Internet Portal, American Alliance of Museums
- The Rape of Europa, 2006 PBS film, aired November 24, 2008 )
- World War II "Monuments Men" Archival Collections at the Archives of American Art, Online exhibition, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
- "Monuments and the NGA". National Gallery of Art.
- Voices of the Monuments Men: oral history interviews.
- Webcast presentation about Saving Italy on May 9, 2013, at the Pritzker Military Library