World War II Looted Art: Turning History into Justice

National Archives and Records Administration

By U.S. National Archives

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

ReichsBank wealth, SS loot, and Berlin Museum paintings found in Merkers Mine in Merkers, Germany. (1945-04-15) by National Archives and Records AdministrationU.S. National Archives

Nazi Looted Art

The Third Reich’s Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, or ERR, was the main agency involved in the systematic looting of cultural treasures in Nazi-occupied countries. Hitler ordered that all looted art be placed at his personal disposal.  These plundered treasures and gold were hidden in castles such as Neuschwanstein Castle in Hohenschwangau, Germany, and in salt mines such as those found in Altaussee, Austria and Merkers, Germany.

Adolf Hitler examining looted artwork, National Archives and Records Administration, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Among the items recovered were 39 photographic albums depicting cultural works that the ERR had seized. Discovered at Neuschwanstein Castle, these albums were transported to the U.S. Army-operated Munich Central Collecting Point to be used in identifying and restituting looted cultural property. The ERR prepared nearly 100 albums for Adolf Hitler to view in order to show him the extent of the ERR's work. These 39 volumes, in the holdings of the National Archives, served as evidence in the Nüremberg trials to document the massive Nazi art looting operations.

Memorandum from General Eisenhower on preservation of historic monuments, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1944-05-26, Original Source: http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/online_documents/monuments_men.html
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"Shortly we will be fighting our way across the Continent of Europe in Battles designed to preserve our civilization. Inevitably, in the path of our advance will be found historical monuments and cultural centers which symbolize to the world all that we are fighting to preserve."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower, General, U.S. Army

Cable from General Eisenhower to General Marshall, April 11, 1945, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-04-11, Original Source: http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/online_documents/monuments_men.html
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"Treasure found in an old salt mine reported approximately 2000 feet deep."
-Cable from General Eisenhower to General Marshall

Members of the Monuments, Fine Art, and Archives (MFA&A) Section by Walker Hancock Collection and World War IIU.S. National Archives

The Monuments Men

The Monuments Men were members of a special unit of Allied soldiers during World War II. Officially, this unit was called the Monuments, Fine Art, and Archives (MFA&A) section, but unofficially, they were the Monuments Men. The mission of the Monuments Men: Protect cultural property from destruction and damage by Allied forces and to find and save works of art and other cultural artifacts that the Nazis had seized.

Lt. James Rorimer displays Rothschild jewelry collection (1945-05-01) by National Archives and Records AdministrationU.S. National Archives

Unlikely Heroes

Perhaps the most unlikely heroes to emerge from World War II, the Monuments Men (and women) were a multinational group of curators, art historians, and museum directors who saved artistic and cultural treasures from destruction. Trading hushed galleries and libraries for besieged European cities, the men and women of the Monuments, Fine Art, and Archives Program risked their lives to protect museums, churches, and monuments from combat. They also tracked down and recovered thousands of priceless artworks stolen by the Nazis—much of it from Jewish families.

"THE MISSION OF THE MFA&A BRANCH." From Annex XX (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives) to Basic Preliminary Plan. Page 4, National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-02/1945-04, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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"MISSION OF THE MFA&A BRANCH...To protect monuments, objects, and institutions in Germany which are of permanent importance in the cultural heritage of mankind."
-From Annex XX (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives) to Basic Preliminary Plan, Allied Control and Occupation of Germany

Panels from Ghent Altarpiece, National Archives and Records Administration, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Panels of the Ghent altarpiece in the mine in Altaussee, Austria.

Holy Family found in Altaussee, National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-10-30, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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This painting was taken from Monte Cassino by the Hermann Göring Division and moved to the principal depository for looted art at Altaussee. Note the poor condition of the painting and the numerous blisters and flaking areas caused by the the journey and changes of temperature and humidity. Many paintings stolen by the Germans were damaged in this way.

Photograph of a Dürer Engraving, National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-05-13, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Master Sergeant Harold Maus of Scranton, PA is pictured with the Dürer engraving, found among other art treasures at Merkers.

Monthly Report of Military Governor, September 1945 Monthly Report of Military Governor, September 1945, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-04-01, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Report of Military Governor of Germany, Dwight D. Eisenhower, on Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives. September, 1945.

An American soldier holds "Cat and Mirror" by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-05-01, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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An American soldier holds the painting "Cat and Mirror" painted by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin in 1749, one of the many valuable works of art found in the Neuschwanstein Castle at Füssen in Bavaria. Many paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Da Vinci, Titian, Van Dyck, Raphael, Goya, and Michelangelo were among the masterpieces, together with the Rothschild collections, the famous Ghent altarpiece, Renaissance jewelry and silver collections, and illuminated manuscripts. Tapestries and rugs were piled one-third of a meter high over the entire floor of a room of about 25 meters in length inside the castle.

Lt. Dale Ford and Sgt. Harry Ettlinger Inspect Rembrandt's Self-Portrait, National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-09, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Lt. Dale Ford and Sgt. Harry Ettlinger inspect Rembrandt's self-portrait, found in one of the salt mines where the Nazis hid their looted artworks.

Harry Ettlinger, a veteran of the Monuments Men, with a photo of himself as a 19 year old G.I., National Archives and Records Administration, 2014-05-08, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Harry Ettlinger is one of the surviving “Monuments Men,” whose art-saving exploits were recently featured in the film of the same title. Ettlinger is in the black and white photo, too: he’s the a 19-year-old GI (right) who, as a native German speaker, had been assigned to the Monuments Men. The Rembrandt self-portrait was taken from Ettlinger's hometown of Karlsruhe, Germany. Ettlinger had never seen it when he lived there as a child—Jews were forbidden to enter the museum. Ettlinger, along with author Robert Edsel, was a guest at the National Archives in 2014 to mark the donation of Hitler album number 6 to the National Archives.

President George W. Bush Presents the National Humanities Medal to the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, National Archives and Records Administration, 2007-11-15, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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President George W. Bush presented the 2007 National Humanities Medal for the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art to Robert Edsel and World War II veterans Jim Reeds, Seymore Pomrenze, Harry Ettlinger, Horace Apgar.

Soldiers marking down each item removed from Göring's cave (1946-04-01) by National Archives and Records AdministrationU.S. National Archives

Recovery and Restitution

The logistics of recovering and restituting artwork also became the task of regular U.S. Army units, such as the 101st Airborne Division. This unit was tasked with accounting for and moving the personal looted art collection of Hermann Göring, leading member of the Nazi Party, who focused on the acquisition of property and artwork in the later years of World War II.

Generals Eisenhower and Bradley, and Lt. General Patton inspect stolen art discovered in a salt mine in Germany., National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-04-12, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, accompanied by General Omar N. Bradley, and Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., inspects art treasures hidden by Germans in a salt mine in Germany.

Adam and Eve loaded onto a truck, National Archives and Records Administration, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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A large oil painting of "Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden" is loaded on a truck by American soldiers. The art treasure is being removed from Göring's cave to the headquarters of the 101st Airborne Division, 7th U.S. Army, to be placed on exhibition.

Officers inspecting the Imperial Regalia, National Archives and Records Administration, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Officers inspecting the Imperial Regalia.

Chaplain Samuel Blinder examines one of hundreds of "Saphor Torahs" (Sacred Scrolls), National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-07-06, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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In the cellar of the Race Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, Chaplain Samuel Blinder examines one of hundreds of "Saphor Torahs" (Sacred Scrolls), among the books stolen from every occupied country in Europe.

Allied Authorities advise on repair of art treasures, National Archives and Records Administration, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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In the wake of advancing Allied armies in Southern and Western Europe, specialist officers provided by Allied civil affairs commissions assist and advise local authorities on the repair and preservation of historical monuments, fine arts, and archival treasures that have suffered damage in war action. Belgian workers repair damage to the choir entrance of the church of Notre Dame in Namur, Belgium, while Lieutenant Daniel J. Kern, U.S. Army fine arts specialist, supervises the work from a ladder.

Troops Find Loot Hidden in Church, National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-04-24, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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German loot stored in church at Ellingen, Germany found by troops of the U.S. Third Army.

Two finely wrought swords of Frederick the Great, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Two finely wrought swords of Frederick the Great found in the Bernterode Mine. The swords were among treasures from the Hohenzollern Museum in Berlin, including items used at the 1701 coronation of King Frederick I and Queen Sophie. U.S. troops found the two swords with gold and silver scabbards, a jeweled scepter and orb, and two crowns.

Map of Mantua, Italy, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1944-03-19, Original Source: http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/online_documents/monuments_men.html
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Map of Mantua, Italy from a folder containing copies of photographs showing the location of monuments of historical, cultural, and religious importance in Italy. Copies of these folders were given to the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces with a preface giving instructions to crews when bombing targets in the vicinity of these monuments.

Florentine Art Treasures Returned, National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-07-21, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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Six trucks with part of the half billion dollars worth of Florentine art treasure, which was taken to Bolsano by retreating Germans, arrives at Piazzo Dei Signoria, Florence, Italy and passes by reviewing stand of American, English and Italian officials.

Unknown Rembrandt Painting Recovered, National Archives and Records Administration, 1945-05-13, From the collection of: U.S. National Archives
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An unknown Rembrandt recovered safe in Munich.

Annex XX (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives) to Basic Preliminary Plan Annex XX (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives) to Basic Preliminary Plan (1945-02-01/1945-04-01) by Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum of the National Archives and Records AdministrationU.S. National Archives

Turning History into Justice

Records in the National Archives and Records Administration have been used to determine the extent of Nazi looting and the extent to which these looted treasures were recovered by the Allies and restituted. Our holdings of archival records relating to Holocaust-Era assets have been used by United States government historians, journalists, private and academic historians, foreign historical commissions, parties involved in litigation, US Congressional staff members, and a variety of others attempting to discover the depth of Nazi thievery.

Credits: Story

National Archives and Records Administration

Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist, NARA
Dr. Sylvia Naylor, Archivist, NARA

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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