You have probably heard about the big-budget movie but may not have thought about the Monuments Men book that inspired the film. Both are based on true events. The author of the book released in 2009, Robert Edsel, has also written a sequel entitled Saving Italy. Although the Allied group of real life heroes was disbanded in 1951, the effort to retrieve stolen art objects continues to this day.
Although the movie is not completely faithful to the book, Edsel is delighted with the exposure that Hollywood will provide to his personal cause. He has done a lot of research into looted art and monuments destroyed or damaged by war. He produced a documentary on the historic and on-going efforts to locate stolen treasure. Although many valuable objects have been returned, more remain on the missing list. Edsel now has a non-profit foundation dedicated to the search and to raising public awareness of the matter.
His first best-seller tells of a group of soldiers and non-military people who became part of an Army unit commissioned to protect Europe's important buildings from aerial bombing. This effort meant going behind enemy lines for undercover investigations of Nazi plans and other dangerous work. The brave men and women were museum officials, art historians, architects, and other scholars who left families and careers behind to risk their lives in an attempt to preserve western culture.
Espionage was of course a part of this dangerous work. Two members of the unit were killed in the effort, which quickly expanded to include art recovery. Over five million valuable objects were taken from Nazi hoards or their supporters and later returned to their owners. The unit continued its work after the War ended, being finally disbanded in 1951.
Millions of art treasures are still missing, as shown by the recent discovery of over 1,400 of them in a Munich apartment. The hoarder inherited them from his father, an art dealer who was given 'degenerate' pieces to dispose of by the Nazis. The man claims they are rightfully his, and legalities may drag on for years.
Edsel himself made an exciting discovery, finding two missing masterpieces in a Dallas museum. However, although the paintings were once seized from the Rothschild family, they may have been returned and later sold. The documentation of transfer has not yet been found, so rightful ownership is unclear.
The Foundation continues to locate missing objects, some of which may have come to America with servicemen who looked at them as souvenirs. Recently two books, over 400 years old, were returned by the veteran who had brought them home. Edsel hopes that more people will examine the contents of their homes now that the subject has been dramatized by a major Hollywood film.
The book inspired the movie, which is a light-hearted look at this true story of heroism and sacrifice. However, for more in-depth information, get the book and its sequel and check out the website for the Monuments Men Foundation. You might want to look at the photos of still-missing masterpieces, too, in case you have the Van Gogh or the Raphael on your wall.
Although the movie is not completely faithful to the book, Edsel is delighted with the exposure that Hollywood will provide to his personal cause. He has done a lot of research into looted art and monuments destroyed or damaged by war. He produced a documentary on the historic and on-going efforts to locate stolen treasure. Although many valuable objects have been returned, more remain on the missing list. Edsel now has a non-profit foundation dedicated to the search and to raising public awareness of the matter.
His first best-seller tells of a group of soldiers and non-military people who became part of an Army unit commissioned to protect Europe's important buildings from aerial bombing. This effort meant going behind enemy lines for undercover investigations of Nazi plans and other dangerous work. The brave men and women were museum officials, art historians, architects, and other scholars who left families and careers behind to risk their lives in an attempt to preserve western culture.
Espionage was of course a part of this dangerous work. Two members of the unit were killed in the effort, which quickly expanded to include art recovery. Over five million valuable objects were taken from Nazi hoards or their supporters and later returned to their owners. The unit continued its work after the War ended, being finally disbanded in 1951.
Millions of art treasures are still missing, as shown by the recent discovery of over 1,400 of them in a Munich apartment. The hoarder inherited them from his father, an art dealer who was given 'degenerate' pieces to dispose of by the Nazis. The man claims they are rightfully his, and legalities may drag on for years.
Edsel himself made an exciting discovery, finding two missing masterpieces in a Dallas museum. However, although the paintings were once seized from the Rothschild family, they may have been returned and later sold. The documentation of transfer has not yet been found, so rightful ownership is unclear.
The Foundation continues to locate missing objects, some of which may have come to America with servicemen who looked at them as souvenirs. Recently two books, over 400 years old, were returned by the veteran who had brought them home. Edsel hopes that more people will examine the contents of their homes now that the subject has been dramatized by a major Hollywood film.
The book inspired the movie, which is a light-hearted look at this true story of heroism and sacrifice. However, for more in-depth information, get the book and its sequel and check out the website for the Monuments Men Foundation. You might want to look at the photos of still-missing masterpieces, too, in case you have the Van Gogh or the Raphael on your wall.
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