Kamis, 20 Februari 2014

Appraising The Monuments Men Book

By Krystal Branch


The Monuments Men book was authored by Edsel Robert who wanted to display the determination of a few individuals to preserve culture during the destructive Second World War. They wanted to prevent destruction of fine European art pieces that were the target of Nazi fanatics under the direction of Hitler. The title is deceptive by implying that the group did not have women. Their contribution is recognized and vital for the success of this narrative.

The process of rescuing and recovering the treasure was complicated by the absence of guiding maps that would give directions to where treasures were hidden. They had to physically visit ruined museums and cathedrals as well as peruse through private notes and journals to get hints. The contribution of Rosa Valland who worked at the French museum was crucial. She got leads from dentists during root canal procedure as well as along rail yards.

Salvaging the artifacts in the prevailing conditions required a lot of sacrifice. The middle aged team abandoned their families for the sake of cultural treasure. The pieces of art were by such fellows as Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Van Eycks and other European painters. The art produced by these fellows was phenomenal.

While risking their lives during combat, the group had a single mission. They were to save as much culture as possible from destruction or pillaging by the army. It would have been a great loss if the treasures were to disappear during the war. They display understanding of the threat posed by the loss and are ready to do something to save the situation. They were trained curators, art scholars, educators, museum directors, architects and archivists.

The rescue gained the nod and apparent support of General Eisenhower and President Roosevelt. The support was virtual because it did not include authority to direct combat away from areas of interest, gasoline, typewriters and necessary vehicles, among other requirements. While they had set to protect the art centers from destruction, they could not stop their destruction and therefore had to change tact and begin to safeguard them from destruction.

The character of each individual involved in the mission acts as a driving force to overcome difficulty. Their lives are young but their passion and dedication for art keep them in the mission. It is a huge sacrifice that goes to the extent of death.

Hitler had a target of creating a large museum by collecting the best paintings in the world. He attacked Poland with multiple intentions of conquest and picking the best art from churches, private collectors and museums. The artifacts were then hidden in remote castles and others in secret mines. He could not stomach the idea that Jewish painters were better than Aryans.

The different dimension of the Second World War as exposed in The Monuments Men Book diverts from known history. What is known during war is aimless destruction, but a group comes up to save artifacts that have no monetary value. A movie with a similar title has already been released.




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