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[Music]

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the nazis carried out the greatest

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plundering of treasures in human history

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precious works were seized from within

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germany soon after they came to power

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then during world war ii they would

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ransack countless pieces of art from the

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european countries they had conquered

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hitler and goebbels had almost a hit

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list of everywhere they wanted to go all

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the works they wanted to pillage it was

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biggest looting in the history of art

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colossal it just drains the imagination

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to

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think and to read about the scale of it

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but the tide of the war turned and the

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allies now had the upper hand

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and as the nazis made their retreat it

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became the task of the monuments men to

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recover all that they had stolen

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this was a group of people who'd worked

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in museums or who were art historians

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experts in their field who were charged

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with going across europe and finding

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missing works cataloging them and

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returning them back to the original

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owners

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their mission took them down the deepest

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of mines and up the highest of castles

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the far-flung locations where the nazis

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had stored their looted treasures

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[Music]

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many masterpieces were rescued at the

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last moment and herculean efforts were

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made to save as much as possible from

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the relentless bombing campaigns

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[Music]

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they were very successful even though

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there are tens of thousands of items

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that can't be traced

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they all put great efforts into trying

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to save as much art as possible and did

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an enormous job in a relatively short

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period of time

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not everything was returned and the hunt

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continues for the last remaining lost

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treasures of world war ii

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[Music]

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[Music]

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the monuments men would be formed in

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1943

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10 years after the nazi looting of art

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began

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[Music]

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in 1933 hitler had been elected

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chancellor of germany

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from 1933 onwards there were

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many forced sales by jewish families

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where the argument is they had very

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little choice they either needed the

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money to flee the country or if they

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hadn't sold the item at the price

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specified they would have been sent to

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concentration camps or in some other way

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taken advantage of a brutal form of

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compulsory purchase

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if negotiation didn't work the mailed

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fists the threat was there and it was

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used particularly with jewish collectors

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and dealers they just moved across

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europe taking from jewish families from

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cultural cultural institutions from

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churches

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during the nuremberg trials which

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followed the end of world war ii these

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art crimes were part of the charges

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brought up against the high-ranking nazi

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officials who were still alive

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the confiscation of jewish homes was

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carried out as follows

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so-called confiscation officials went

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from house to house in order to collect

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information as the abandoned jewish

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homes

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they drop inventories of those homes and

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subsequently sealed them

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it came up in the questioning and the

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interrogation it wasn't a principle

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indictment against them it wasn't what

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was going to hang them let's put it as

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crudely as that because they were being

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tried for crimes against humanity

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planning aggressive war and all that

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the planned aggressive war would begin

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in 1939 when hitler ordered the invasion

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of poland which marked the beginning of

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world war ii

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the invading forces would decimate

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polish cities and plunder many of the

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country's national treasures

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in krakov the chartarisky family had one

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of the finest collections of artworks in

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the world

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the charter riskies were one of the

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great aristocratic families of

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poland and three of their important

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paintings were seized there was a

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leonardo a raphael and a rembrandt

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isabella charteriska is my six times

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great-grandmother

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she travels around europe

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and meets many greats over time russo

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voltaire and benjamin franklin and

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she starts a museum in her palace

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isabella's eldest son he travels to

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florence in rome

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and with the advice of his younger

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brother

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who is my my ancestor

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they

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acquire the leonardo da vinci painting

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and the raphael and they give it as a

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gift to isabella

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because every mother deserves the

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leonardo da vinci

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the chatariskis had attempted to thwart

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the invading german army by moving the

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paintings outside krakov to a country

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house where they were hidden behind a

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false brick wall

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however they were unable to stop the

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nazis from discovering their location

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augustine chartres

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decides to move the collection from

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krakow to one of his estates then

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decides it's too close to the russian

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front and moves it to my great

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grandfather's house in perkina

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[Music]

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very soon the gestapo turns up and they

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take the artworks

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it was a very calculated

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operation by the nazis

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these priceless works of art would soon

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be found in the possession of the nazi

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official hans

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frank

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totally irredeemably brutal german

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governor of most of occupied poland he

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was our avid collector

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of art treasures which he looted

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comprehensively from poland dr hans

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frank who was the close personal friend

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of hitler's

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took those three works which were you

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know number one to hitler and hung them

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in his castle and vargo they knew

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exactly what they were doing and the

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nazis have appointed an art historian

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caitanya

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to go around poland and in search for

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artworks among them the the collection

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of

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the chartreuse museum mulman a

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degenerate brutal man

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but an art historian

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in his own right who was an active

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adviser to the nazis in poland

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and in the soviet union as well there

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were two factors that influenced what he

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did and what they did

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one was utter racial contempt for poland

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and for the polls they thought they had

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no right to a cultural inheritance of

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their own

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and hans frank was he was simply greedy

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he wanted it for himself with the nazi

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invasion and ransacking of poland other

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european nations took great precautions

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to protect their works of art

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the national gallery in london sent

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almost all of its collection to far

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safer locations in wales

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the louvre in paris also emptied its

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contents out of fear of nazi seizure

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a fear that would be realized when

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german forces invaded in may 1940

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not only were the germans hiding the

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looted art but also the allies were

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quickly moving things away as the

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germans approached and occupation

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happened so the mona lisa actually moved

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six times between different chateau in

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the french countryside almost being

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chased

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with paris and most of france under nazi

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control hitler and his high-ranking

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officials had access to an enormous

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number of precious artworks

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in paris alone about 20 confiscation

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officials

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confiscated more than 38 000

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homes looted artworks were stored at the

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jourda poem gallery in paris and at the

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heart of this systematic confiscation

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was alfred rosenberg

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he was appointed with hitler's approval

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after the fall of france to

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coordinate the appropriation

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of art from occupied western europe

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rosenberg was a

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hitler

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protege a dogma idealist theorist for

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the nazi cause

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and he was put in charge

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of the seizure of art in paris

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much of which hitler wanted for his own

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museum at lintz

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rosenberg was one of the nazi officials

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prosecuted at the nuremberg trials where

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his own reports of the looting that he

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relayed to adolf hitler were used

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against him

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i began my fuhrer to give me a chance

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during my next audience to report to you

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orally

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on the whole extent and scope of this

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art seizure action

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which will be used as a basis for this

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later oral report

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and also accept three copies of the

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temporary picture catalogs which two

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only show

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a part of the collection

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you own

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he was ruthless in the way that he

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he went about it and helped himself to

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quite a bit

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as part of the operation

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rosenberg then closes with this touching

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tribute to the aesthetic taste of the

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pure

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taste which were satisfied at the

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expense of a continent and i quote

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i shall take the liberty during the

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requested audience to give you my fuhrer

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another 20 folders of pictures

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with the hope that this short occupation

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with the beautiful things of art

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which are nearest to your heart

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will send a ray of beauty and joy

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into your revered life

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uncle

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rosenberg

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was in charge of the err and the jourda

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palm now there were other generals like

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guri and so on who are trying to get

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their share of the booty

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the leading nazi officials had begun

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following hitler's example of relentless

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art collection the fuhrer had audacious

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plans for his own purpose-built museum

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but the seized paintings in paris that

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he hadn't claimed for himself were

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highly sought after by hitler's deputies

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but little did they know that there was

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a quiet spy amongst them who was noting

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down all they were up to

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at the start of world war ii the nazis

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had looted extensively across the

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european countries they'd invaded

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but many of the greatest works were kept

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in the jourda poem gallery in paris

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hermann goering would be a regular

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visitor there and he would help himself

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to many seized artworks for his own

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personal collection

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some of the nazi leaders became

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important art collectors and that was

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partly because they had the opportunity

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they had the power so they could seize

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artworks it's interesting that goring

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who is such an important nazi figure

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00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:24,639
became a very major collector and

285
00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:27,680
acquired many many hundreds of works his

286
00:12:24,639 --> 00:12:30,560
image of himself was of some kind of

287
00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:31,600
renaissance man a man of culture and of

288
00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:34,240
taste

289
00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:36,720
and in fact i think his

290
00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:38,800
interest in art was genuine in its own

291
00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:41,279
way in some cases he actually acquired

292
00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:43,040
works which were officially regarded as

293
00:12:41,279 --> 00:12:44,959
degenerate which is interesting which

294
00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:47,839
shows the contradictions in the nazi

295
00:12:44,959 --> 00:12:50,240
system so goring for example acquired a

296
00:12:47,839 --> 00:12:52,880
number of van goghs he

297
00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:55,760
had the maximum of temptation and the

298
00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:58,480
maximum opportunity to appropriate what

299
00:12:55,760 --> 00:13:01,120
he wanted some of them he acquired just

300
00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,959
in order to sell and make money from and

301
00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:05,600
then he bought more conventional works

302
00:13:02,959 --> 00:13:07,920
but he did also keep some for himself

303
00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:10,480
what is extraordinary is the frequency

304
00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:13,200
of these visits supposedly he was

305
00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:15,519
hitler's deputy rice marshall

306
00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:17,680
in command of the luftwaffe

307
00:13:15,519 --> 00:13:20,560
but these commitments appeared to be no

308
00:13:17,680 --> 00:13:22,079
impediment to the time that he found

309
00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:24,160
to make these trips

310
00:13:22,079 --> 00:13:26,320
to france

311
00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:28,320
but secretly it was at the jodopom

312
00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,800
gallery that the work of the monuments

313
00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:32,959
men or really the monuments men and

314
00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:35,440
women began

315
00:13:32,959 --> 00:13:36,800
there was a very brave woman rosalind

316
00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,519
who was the

317
00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:42,160
curator in the jourda poem which is next

318
00:13:39,519 --> 00:13:44,320
door to the louvre and which was the

319
00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:46,560
collecting point which the germans used

320
00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:48,560
in paris to bring together what they

321
00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:50,800
were taking from jewish families and

322
00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:53,199
other museums before shipping it to

323
00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,959
germany she basically pretended to be a

324
00:13:53,199 --> 00:13:57,519
collaborator with the germans she spoke

325
00:13:54,959 --> 00:13:59,600
fluent german but didn't let them know

326
00:13:57,519 --> 00:14:00,720
and noted where all the big shipments

327
00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,480
out of the museum where all the

328
00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:05,120
masterpieces were going to

329
00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:07,440
and flagged it to the allies she was in

330
00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:10,079
a position to be able to

331
00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:12,240
register and record everything that was

332
00:14:10,079 --> 00:14:13,839
being sent to germany and to work out

333
00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:16,000
where it was going

334
00:14:13,839 --> 00:14:18,480
the records that rose velong kept would

335
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,560
prove key in the recovery efforts and

336
00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:22,639
she would soon get vital assistance when

337
00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:25,120
the united states officially joined the

338
00:14:22,639 --> 00:14:28,639
war effort and the monuments fine arts

339
00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:30,480
and archive program was launched

340
00:14:28,639 --> 00:14:32,800
with confidence

341
00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:35,760
in our armed forces

342
00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:38,240
with the unbounding determination

343
00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:40,320
of our people

344
00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:42,480
we will gain

345
00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:45,760
the inevitable triumph

346
00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:49,040
so help us god

347
00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:50,880
roosevelt signed a decree in 1943 to

348
00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,639
actually put together

349
00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,800
a team of individuals who have the

350
00:14:52,639 --> 00:14:56,320
requisite expertise

351
00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:58,480
now there's always a big problem when

352
00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:00,480
you're doing something like this as to

353
00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:02,800
how much military credibility the

354
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:05,279
individuals have to have and how much

355
00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:07,120
art history credibility they weren't

356
00:15:05,279 --> 00:15:09,600
normal troops obviously they were sent

357
00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:11,839
out to work with the allied forces but

358
00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:14,399
the average age was 40. they had no

359
00:15:11,839 --> 00:15:15,920
fighting experience so they really were

360
00:15:14,399 --> 00:15:17,839
not in their comfort zone an art

361
00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,920
historian on the battlefield who can't

362
00:15:17,839 --> 00:15:23,120
talk with credibility to a field

363
00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:24,399
commander will not get what he needs and

364
00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,079
somebody who's not an art historian

365
00:15:24,399 --> 00:15:28,160
won't know what to do altogether there

366
00:15:26,079 --> 00:15:30,160
were several hundred

367
00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:32,720
people who'd worked in museums or who

368
00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:35,120
were art historians who worked for the

369
00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,959
allies during the war

370
00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:39,120
and they accompanied soldiers at the end

371
00:15:36,959 --> 00:15:41,199
of the war

372
00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:43,680
it was a originally a united states

373
00:15:41,199 --> 00:15:45,680
initiative where the learned societies

374
00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,560
in america who'd heard about looting in

375
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,560
europe

376
00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,240
said to the u.s government we must do

377
00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,839
something about this

378
00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:53,360
and they also were aware of the fact

379
00:15:51,839 --> 00:15:55,920
that there would be a danger of looting

380
00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,199
by allied soldiers who were getting into

381
00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,880
what had been german occupied

382
00:15:57,199 --> 00:16:00,399
territories it was always going to

383
00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,880
happen it was always going to be part of

384
00:16:00,399 --> 00:16:04,480
the if you like the moral agenda of the

385
00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,199
western allies

386
00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:08,480
to

387
00:16:05,199 --> 00:16:11,360
make such a restitution as they could to

388
00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:12,720
countries that had been looted despoiled

389
00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,959
of their own

390
00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:17,360
artistic inheritance in the way that

391
00:16:14,959 --> 00:16:20,560
occupied countries were there was every

392
00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:22,800
incentive to set up an organization

393
00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,560
which became multinational i.e there

394
00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,720
were french polish and eventually of

395
00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:29,360
course german people involved in it in

396
00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:31,440
order to try and safeguard what had been

397
00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:34,399
moved or stolen

398
00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:36,399
and they were very successful the task

399
00:16:34,399 --> 00:16:38,240
was a gargantuan one

400
00:16:36,399 --> 00:16:39,759
the american army

401
00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:42,560
claimed

402
00:16:39,759 --> 00:16:44,000
at the end of world war ii that they had

403
00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:48,560
located

404
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:50,959
around a thousand sites repositories

405
00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:53,360
of what had been hidden away

406
00:16:50,959 --> 00:16:55,839
and did they have the manpower to sort

407
00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:58,639
that out adequately or to prevent more

408
00:16:55,839 --> 00:17:00,480
of it being stolen and

409
00:16:58,639 --> 00:17:02,480
stashed away we don't i don't think we

410
00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,240
know for sure

411
00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,720
two of the most important figures in

412
00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:08,319
this new force were george stout and

413
00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:10,799
james rorimer

414
00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:13,280
rorimer worked at the metropolitan

415
00:17:10,799 --> 00:17:15,280
museum of art in new york and was a very

416
00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,520
important artist story and he later

417
00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:19,039
wrote his memoirs as his time as a

418
00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:21,760
monuments man

419
00:17:19,039 --> 00:17:23,280
people like stout and rorimer were very

420
00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,679
important art historians and

421
00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:28,280
conservators they were among the leading

422
00:17:25,679 --> 00:17:30,000
monuments men to put together the

423
00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:32,160
expertise

424
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:35,039
you must put somebody in charge of those

425
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:37,679
people who has real military clout clout

426
00:17:35,039 --> 00:17:39,840
with a command and indeed the knowledge

427
00:17:37,679 --> 00:17:41,440
tactically to be able to know what is

428
00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:43,039
safe and what's not safe and how they

429
00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,360
should progress

430
00:17:43,039 --> 00:17:47,440
george stout was an ideal figure to help

431
00:17:45,360 --> 00:17:49,360
lead this new group as he was one of the

432
00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:51,679
few members to have experience of

433
00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:52,799
wartime having served in world war one

434
00:17:51,679 --> 00:17:54,400
himself

435
00:17:52,799 --> 00:17:56,799
and he returned to the battlefield of

436
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:58,080
europe once again soon after the d-day

437
00:17:56,799 --> 00:17:59,760
landings

438
00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,760
the monuments men would have to make

439
00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:04,160
their way across the continent hunting

440
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:06,559
down secret locations where the nazis

441
00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,799
stored their stolen treasures

442
00:18:06,559 --> 00:18:11,280
and the first locations they found were

443
00:18:08,799 --> 00:18:13,360
deep mines that the nazis had to abandon

444
00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:15,280
in their hasty retreat

445
00:18:13,360 --> 00:18:19,090
one of the earliest discovered was the

446
00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:22,080
copper mine in segan germany

447
00:18:19,090 --> 00:18:24,000
[Music]

448
00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:26,720
cooper says the crowds booby-trapped the

449
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:29,120
entire place

450
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,600
could walk right into one

451
00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,600
bring the whole mine down on top of you

452
00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:36,000
not true sir you found any booby traps

453
00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:38,320
not looking for booby traps

454
00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,559
no sir

455
00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:43,520
the germans were worried for the safety

456
00:18:40,559 --> 00:18:45,360
of artworks they were worried about

457
00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,760
allied bombing

458
00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:49,120
so the paintings and artworks were moved

459
00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:51,280
from the cities

460
00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:53,200
to safe places initially in the

461
00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,320
countryside and it was then realized

462
00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:58,320
that the safest place to keep them was

463
00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,760
in an underground mine

464
00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:02,000
how many tons of rock do you reckon

465
00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:05,280
above us right now

466
00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,280
about a million i'd say

467
00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:11,840
it'd be quick wouldn't it

468
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:13,919
all these mines were used to store

469
00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:16,480
art when the bombing

470
00:19:13,919 --> 00:19:19,600
was clearly a major threat in these

471
00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:21,760
mines were put in germany the items

472
00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:24,160
which were going to go to the fuji's

473
00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:26,240
museum and so on and also items

474
00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:28,160
particularly from france which came from

475
00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,960
the collecting point in the show the

476
00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,960
poem in paris

477
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,600
you don't worry much do you sir

478
00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:40,200
i'm worried now about booby traps

479
00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:43,200
no

480
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:44,559
[Music]

481
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:47,280
about

482
00:19:44,559 --> 00:19:47,280
moisture

483
00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:53,840
actually happened quite late before 1945

484
00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,840
they started moving pieces across and

485
00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,360
storing them deep in the mines

486
00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:59,280
and there were thousands of tunnels

487
00:19:57,360 --> 00:20:01,120
within it so it really was a case that

488
00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,559
was very difficult to find there were

489
00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:04,840
large

490
00:20:02,559 --> 00:20:08,400
cavernous spaces underground where the

491
00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:10,240
artworks were stored it was reputed that

492
00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:12,159
at the end of the war

493
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:14,240
the nazis had ordered that the mines

494
00:20:12,159 --> 00:20:17,280
should be blown up but fortunately this

495
00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:19,840
didn't happen and it was liberated by

496
00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:21,760
american forces and the monuments men i

497
00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:24,559
think the sheer scale

498
00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:25,840
volume and beauty of the items that have

499
00:20:24,559 --> 00:20:27,600
been taken

500
00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:29,360
really amazed

501
00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,400
not only the commanders but also the

502
00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:31,360
troops

503
00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,600
and

504
00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:36,720
that is what led to a very understanding

505
00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,919
what a huge operation the germans had

506
00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,000
got into

507
00:20:37,919 --> 00:20:41,760
in order to strip western europe and

508
00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,760
that is without talking about most of

509
00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:45,760
the stuff which they took from russia

510
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:48,400
and eastern europe much more of which

511
00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:50,799
was destroyed the monuments men needed

512
00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:53,280
to move fast to rescue any more stolen

513
00:20:50,799 --> 00:20:55,039
treasures from the endless mine shafts

514
00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,799
and castle corridors where they were

515
00:20:55,039 --> 00:20:59,360
hidden

516
00:20:56,799 --> 00:21:01,200
hitler had issued the nero decree which

517
00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:03,840
threatened to destroy all of these

518
00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:07,120
looted works rather than let them fall

519
00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:07,120
into the allies hands

520
00:21:07,210 --> 00:21:10,390
[Music]

521
00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:18,960
on may the 26th 1944 general eisenhower

522
00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:21,679
gave an order to the allied forces to

523
00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:23,919
protect and respect important historical

524
00:21:21,679 --> 00:21:26,159
monuments whenever possible in the

525
00:21:23,919 --> 00:21:28,159
battles that lay ahead

526
00:21:26,159 --> 00:21:32,559
the job of the monuments men was to

527
00:21:28,159 --> 00:21:32,559
ensure that this order was carried out

528
00:21:34,159 --> 00:21:40,159
on june 6 1944 the d-day landings at

529
00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:43,960
normandy were put into action under

530
00:21:40,159 --> 00:21:43,960
operation overlord

531
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,679
the monuments men made their way across

532
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:51,840
the channel soon after and started to

533
00:21:49,679 --> 00:21:53,360
search for the artworks stolen by the

534
00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,280
nazis

535
00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:58,320
they knew they had to act fast when on

536
00:21:55,280 --> 00:22:00,880
march the 19th 1945 hitler issued the

537
00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:02,640
nero decree from his bunker in berlin

538
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:05,039
which ordered for all works to be

539
00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:07,760
destroyed rather than let them fall into

540
00:22:05,039 --> 00:22:07,760
allied hands

541
00:22:07,919 --> 00:22:11,760
but the monuments men would have a

542
00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:14,159
stroke of luck when on april the second

543
00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:15,760
they uncovered the german mine at segan

544
00:22:14,159 --> 00:22:19,200
which held works by the likes of

545
00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:21,120
rembrandt and van gogh

546
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,520
just a few days later they would make an

547
00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:24,559
even larger discovery at a salt mine in

548
00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:26,799
murkers

549
00:22:24,559 --> 00:22:29,950
here they found crates of artworks which

550
00:22:26,799 --> 00:22:32,320
included the winter garden by manet

551
00:22:29,950 --> 00:22:34,240
[Music]

552
00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,320
general eisenhower would visit the mine

553
00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,720
to see the stolen art for himself along

554
00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:41,440
with his fellow generals omar bradley

555
00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:43,520
and george s patton

556
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,679
they were able to witness for themselves

557
00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:48,550
the vast amount of gold that had been

558
00:22:45,679 --> 00:22:52,240
found at murkers

559
00:22:48,550 --> 00:22:54,480
[Music]

560
00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:56,640
assault by the hiding place for a nazi

561
00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:58,559
hoard of gold bullion currency jewels

562
00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:00,640
and other forms of wealth

563
00:22:58,559 --> 00:23:02,240
officers of the american third army make

564
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:04,000
an inventory of the treasures which had

565
00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:06,799
been removed from berlin to america's

566
00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,559
depository the almost 200 tons of gold

567
00:23:06,799 --> 00:23:09,919
is reported to be virtually the entire

568
00:23:08,559 --> 00:23:11,120
remaining brilliant reserve of the

569
00:23:09,919 --> 00:23:13,760
reichsbank

570
00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:16,080
a ton of fine gold represents about one

571
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:18,080
million dollars america's hiding place

572
00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:19,919
was uncovered by our troops early in

573
00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:22,400
april i mean it's interesting that

574
00:23:19,919 --> 00:23:24,320
general eisenhower who had a war to

575
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,640
fight chose to be photographed with the

576
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:29,120
artworks which had been recovered and it

577
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:31,120
was quite a public relations coup for

578
00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:34,080
the americans to show that they had

579
00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:36,720
rescued and saved these artworks at the

580
00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:38,960
end of the war suitcases contain a

581
00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,880
variety of valuables it's discovered

582
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:43,039
that the reichsburg had been buying gold

583
00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,480
wedding rings gold teeth and other loot

584
00:23:43,039 --> 00:23:46,400
taken by the nazis from their

585
00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,320
innumerable civilian victims

586
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:50,240
i remember talking to other soldiers

587
00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,760
from my own regiment who were in germany

588
00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,039
at the time

589
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:57,679
and of course

590
00:23:53,039 --> 00:23:58,880
uh everybody looted what i would call

591
00:23:57,679 --> 00:24:01,200
trophy

592
00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:03,600
military kit you know

593
00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:05,440
swastikas and so on were taken there

594
00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,200
were very strict rules about not taking

595
00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,720
anything which was needed by the german

596
00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,880
civilian population

597
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:13,120
we helped repatriate a bible back to

598
00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,919
italy and there were many cases like

599
00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:15,760
that

600
00:24:13,919 --> 00:24:18,480
valuable works of art are included in

601
00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:20,799
the treasure hoard approximately 400

602
00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:23,679
rare paintings are found removing the

603
00:24:20,799 --> 00:24:25,679
america's salt mine hoard takes 24 hours

604
00:24:23,679 --> 00:24:27,279
more than 60 trucks are required to

605
00:24:25,679 --> 00:24:29,679
transport it to a central point for

606
00:24:27,279 --> 00:24:32,840
storage pending an allied decision as to

607
00:24:29,679 --> 00:24:32,840
its disposition

608
00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:39,360
these books were found

609
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:42,159
by our staff

610
00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:44,960
in connection with the group of u.s army

611
00:24:42,159 --> 00:24:47,520
people who have assembled these objects

612
00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:51,279
of art and are now in the process of

613
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:54,159
retaining them to the rightful owners

614
00:24:51,279 --> 00:24:55,840
and the great advantage of salt mines is

615
00:24:54,159 --> 00:24:57,840
that they're completely dry because

616
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:59,520
they're hygroscopic you can store things

617
00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:01,679
there and they won't degenerate

618
00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,679
naturally had perfect conditions perfect

619
00:25:01,679 --> 00:25:06,000
temperature perfect humidity

620
00:25:03,679 --> 00:25:07,840
and they just started stockpiling all of

621
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,480
the masterpieces that they had plundered

622
00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:12,480
from across europe

623
00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:14,799
the merca salt mine was a truly

624
00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:16,559
remarkable discovery but the monuments

625
00:25:14,799 --> 00:25:18,960
meant would soon unearth an even bigger

626
00:25:16,559 --> 00:25:20,480
one thanks to the work of rosa vallant

627
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,799
back in paris

628
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:24,880
her meticulous records had allowed james

629
00:25:22,799 --> 00:25:26,840
rorimer to track down an astonishing

630
00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:30,080
collection of artworks held at

631
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:32,400
neuschwanstein castle harry

632
00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:34,559
harry come on

633
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,960
joining him in his discovery was private

634
00:25:34,559 --> 00:25:39,039
harry etlinger a german jew who'd

635
00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:41,200
escaped to america before the war and

636
00:25:39,039 --> 00:25:43,679
was now returning to his homeland as

637
00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,600
part of the us army

638
00:25:43,679 --> 00:25:49,120
at the end of the war there was this big

639
00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:52,320
effort by the monuments men to

640
00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:54,000
repatriate stuff to the country from

641
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:56,880
which it was taken

642
00:25:54,000 --> 00:26:00,640
to make certain these items went back to

643
00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,640
their original private owners

644
00:26:00,799 --> 00:26:05,279
neuschwanstein is this fairytale castle

645
00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:07,600
at the photo of the alps in germany and

646
00:26:05,279 --> 00:26:10,000
it was used as a repository or safe

647
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,120
place for paintings from the munich

648
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,919
collection

649
00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:17,039
of fantastic gallery and it's also more

650
00:26:13,919 --> 00:26:22,240
importantly actually the destination for

651
00:26:17,039 --> 00:26:22,240
art looted from jews in france

652
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,679
neuschwanstein castle though it looks

653
00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,520
medieval was actually built in the 1860s

654
00:26:27,679 --> 00:26:32,159
and it wasn't finished which meant that

655
00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:34,720
it had lots of space unfinished rooms

656
00:26:32,159 --> 00:26:36,400
that adjoin joining corridors

657
00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:39,039
where they could store

658
00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:42,000
multiple pieces of artwork

659
00:26:39,039 --> 00:26:44,320
towels over 300 feet tall

660
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:46,080
at the wartime there were racks along

661
00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:48,240
all the walls which were absolutely

662
00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:50,640
filled with paintings so there were

663
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:52,559
thousands and thousands of paintings in

664
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,799
a series of rooms

665
00:26:52,559 --> 00:26:57,200
there there are rooms in the main castle

666
00:26:54,799 --> 00:26:57,200
itself

667
00:26:57,360 --> 00:27:02,559
over 300 of them spread over six floors

668
00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:04,480
i think they're over 21 000

669
00:27:02,559 --> 00:27:05,679
pieces of art stored there

670
00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,559
21

671
00:27:05,679 --> 00:27:10,720
903 pieces of art

672
00:27:08,559 --> 00:27:13,520
these included

673
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:14,720
5281

674
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,720
paintings

675
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:20,570
684

676
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:22,399
minute errors books and manuscripts

677
00:27:20,570 --> 00:27:25,679
[Music]

678
00:27:22,399 --> 00:27:27,600
it's like something out of a fairy tale

679
00:27:25,679 --> 00:27:28,960
other rooms with decorative art with

680
00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,840
sculpture

681
00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:33,600
jewelry miniatures medieval works of art

682
00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:36,399
so they also found that some

683
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:39,279
leather-bound books cards references of

684
00:27:36,399 --> 00:27:41,440
all the works that were on the list

685
00:27:39,279 --> 00:27:43,760
to be looted

686
00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:45,760
paintings jewelry

687
00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:47,520
rare books and prints stacks of

688
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:49,039
furniture all shipped him from paris

689
00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:51,440
golf

690
00:27:49,039 --> 00:27:53,440
only two rooms full of it

691
00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:55,120
but the real treasure is right through

692
00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,279
here

693
00:27:55,120 --> 00:27:59,600
well it's fortunate that the germans who

694
00:27:57,279 --> 00:28:02,480
were meticulous record keepers but even

695
00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:03,679
so in the chaos of 1945 anything could

696
00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,640
have happened

697
00:28:03,679 --> 00:28:11,760
the records of what they had taken

698
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:11,760
were found with the items themselves

699
00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:18,000
the nazi catalogue of death theft

700
00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:19,520
thousand records

701
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:21,120
where the items came from who they

702
00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:22,930
belong to

703
00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:27,249
and you're gonna translate it

704
00:28:22,930 --> 00:28:27,249
[Music]

705
00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:34,000
there were filing cabinets full of the

706
00:28:31,039 --> 00:28:35,360
cards showing from whom these pictures

707
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:38,000
had originally been taken which

708
00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:39,440
collecting points they'd gone through

709
00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,080
and where they were

710
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:44,559
destined for so that for the monuments

711
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:47,120
men would have enabled them to

712
00:28:44,559 --> 00:28:50,159
make restitution these items back to

713
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:51,760
their owners relatively easily

714
00:28:50,159 --> 00:28:53,760
at the same time as the enormous

715
00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:56,080
collection at neuschwanstein castle was

716
00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:58,880
being discovered yet another stolen art

717
00:28:56,080 --> 00:29:01,440
hall was reclaimed when hermann goering

718
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:03,760
was eventually captured christ's thief

719
00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:05,440
among the high nazis was hermann goering

720
00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:07,840
who looted museums and private

721
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:10,320
collections in all parts of europe much

722
00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:12,559
was hidden in caves and advancing troops

723
00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:14,480
captured fully laden freight cars

724
00:29:12,559 --> 00:29:16,960
ready to move much of the collection to

725
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:19,760
safer places for hermann

726
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:22,799
when the american army caught up

727
00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:25,760
with hermann goering's collection down

728
00:29:22,799 --> 00:29:28,799
at a small place called winter's near

729
00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:30,799
berchtesgaden it had been

730
00:29:28,799 --> 00:29:33,360
transported down there with the aid of

731
00:29:30,799 --> 00:29:36,640
german military transport and military

732
00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:40,240
manpower what they found occupied

733
00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:42,399
40 rooms of a luftwaffe building it was

734
00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:45,039
a luftwaffe rest home

735
00:29:42,399 --> 00:29:46,080
which goering had appropriated for his

736
00:29:45,039 --> 00:29:48,640
own use

737
00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:51,919
apparently he was shifting it attempting

738
00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:53,600
to both by road and by

739
00:29:51,919 --> 00:29:56,720
rail and apart from

740
00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:59,600
what the americans the 101st airborne

741
00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:02,480
division who were operating in in south

742
00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:04,720
germany tracked down to the luftwaffe

743
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:07,200
building there was a lot more

744
00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:08,399
that was shifted by rail and i think the

745
00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:11,039
americans

746
00:30:08,399 --> 00:30:13,279
intercepted quite a lot of that as well

747
00:30:11,039 --> 00:30:15,679
gerring's ill-gotten loot is no longer

748
00:30:13,279 --> 00:30:18,080
his to admire the collection goes on

749
00:30:15,679 --> 00:30:20,000
display for gis before an allied

750
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:23,799
commission attempts to return everything

751
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,799
to the proper owners

752
00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:29,679
i called your attention

753
00:30:27,679 --> 00:30:32,320
again that each of the pictures you've

754
00:30:29,679 --> 00:30:34,840
just seen is merely representative of a

755
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:38,159
large number of similar

756
00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:39,600
items illustrated in the 39 volume

757
00:30:38,159 --> 00:30:41,760
catalog

758
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:44,240
which is in itself only partially

759
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:46,159
complete

760
00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:48,840
the stolen art collections of the top

761
00:30:46,159 --> 00:30:51,679
nazi officials were gradually being

762
00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:53,679
reclaimed but the biggest treasure trove

763
00:30:51,679 --> 00:30:56,000
of all that which hitler had set aside

764
00:30:53,679 --> 00:30:57,760
for his own personal museum was still to

765
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,039
be recovered by the monuments men in

766
00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:01,679
austria

767
00:30:59,039 --> 00:31:03,760
but the search continues to this day for

768
00:31:01,679 --> 00:31:04,550
all the lost treasures that slipped

769
00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:09,319
through the net

770
00:31:04,550 --> 00:31:09,319
[Music]

771
00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:18,240
in may 1945 the net had closed in on the

772
00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:20,559
leading nazi officials and their stolen

773
00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:22,399
art collections

774
00:31:20,559 --> 00:31:24,640
hermann goering had been brought into

775
00:31:22,399 --> 00:31:27,760
custody by the allies along with his

776
00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:30,080
enormous hall of artworks

777
00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:32,559
and hans frank the governor of occupied

778
00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:35,760
poland had been captured by u.s forces

779
00:31:32,559 --> 00:31:37,840
near the german austrian border

780
00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:39,919
he had an extensive collection of looted

781
00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,480
paintings including the famous charter

782
00:31:39,919 --> 00:31:45,440
risky collection which featured the lady

783
00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:47,519
with an ermine by leonardo da vinci

784
00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,880
the landscape with good samaritan by

785
00:31:47,519 --> 00:31:50,799
rembrandt

786
00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:52,559
and the portrait of a young man by

787
00:31:50,799 --> 00:31:54,720
rafael

788
00:31:52,559 --> 00:31:58,080
both goering and frank would eventually

789
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,080
be tried at nuremberg

790
00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:03,840
at the end of the war in 1944 when they

791
00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:06,720
were evacuating poland with the russian

792
00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:09,440
invasion from the east dr frank took the

793
00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:11,360
leonardo and probably the others back to

794
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:14,559
his own private residence in the south

795
00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:16,799
of germany frank took the pictures um to

796
00:32:14,559 --> 00:32:18,399
his country house and two of them were

797
00:32:16,799 --> 00:32:21,120
later recovered

798
00:32:18,399 --> 00:32:24,080
the rembrandt and the leonardo

799
00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:26,320
the raphael is still missing and it's

800
00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:30,480
possibly the most important artwork that

801
00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:30,480
was looted and lost during the war

802
00:32:31,919 --> 00:32:35,519
it's right down here sir frank insists

803
00:32:33,919 --> 00:32:39,159
he didn't steal them says he was just

804
00:32:35,519 --> 00:32:39,159
safeguarding them

805
00:32:42,399 --> 00:32:46,880
we found it just lying here on the floor

806
00:32:44,799 --> 00:32:48,880
have a look

807
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:52,159
the leonardo is a very important

808
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:53,360
portrait and um it had a boot print on

809
00:32:52,159 --> 00:32:56,880
it and

810
00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:58,559
it's lucky it didn't suffer more damage

811
00:32:56,880 --> 00:33:00,720
a boot sir

812
00:32:58,559 --> 00:33:02,720
yes

813
00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:05,279
whoever was in here earlier sure got out

814
00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,279
in a hurry

815
00:33:05,700 --> 00:33:10,799
[Music]

816
00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:12,720
there's a famous photograph of it on a

817
00:33:10,799 --> 00:33:15,200
railway platform and fortunately the

818
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:17,120
painting um survived in relatively good

819
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:20,000
condition considering its checkered

820
00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:22,240
history during the war and is now

821
00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:25,039
one of the most important leonardo's

822
00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:26,559
it's been estimated that

823
00:33:25,039 --> 00:33:28,960
over 800

824
00:33:26,559 --> 00:33:32,240
objects are missing from the museum

825
00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:34,320
and among them the raphael the raphael

826
00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:36,559
is still missing and it's

827
00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:38,960
possibly the most important artwork that

828
00:33:36,559 --> 00:33:41,519
was looted and lost during the war

829
00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:44,240
portrait of a man and many people think

830
00:33:41,519 --> 00:33:47,120
it's actually a self-portrait of raphael

831
00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:48,880
sadly only one was never found raphael's

832
00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,640
portrayed young man and that was last

833
00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:53,519
seen at varvel

834
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:55,519
and there have been some supposed

835
00:33:53,519 --> 00:33:56,480
sightings of it there was speculation

836
00:33:55,519 --> 00:34:00,000
that

837
00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:02,720
maybe after 50 or 70 years it might turn

838
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:05,120
up somewhere when supposedly the case

839
00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:06,640
expires there were thoughts of it being

840
00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:08,159
locked in a bank which then got proved

841
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:09,760
to be a hoax

842
00:34:08,159 --> 00:34:11,679
so it's largely thought now that it is

843
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:14,000
missing we have no evidence of what

844
00:34:11,679 --> 00:34:16,639
happened to it and it's just possible it

845
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:17,670
might turn up in someone's attic at some

846
00:34:16,639 --> 00:34:19,119
point

847
00:34:17,670 --> 00:34:21,119
[Music]

848
00:34:19,119 --> 00:34:22,800
the raphael painting may be the most

849
00:34:21,119 --> 00:34:24,960
famous missing work from the charter

850
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:28,320
risky collection but many other great

851
00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:30,960
pieces of art have still not turned up

852
00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:34,320
this 15th century work by italian artist

853
00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:36,879
naruccio de landi is still missing as is

854
00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:39,040
a work called saint with a book that was

855
00:34:36,879 --> 00:34:40,420
stolen to order for hitler's private

856
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:42,879
collection

857
00:34:40,420 --> 00:34:44,800
[Music]

858
00:34:42,879 --> 00:34:47,280
hands frank and hermann goring's stolen

859
00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:49,040
caches of art had been recovered but the

860
00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:51,679
greatest collection of all had been

861
00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,839
assembled for the fuhrer himself

862
00:34:51,679 --> 00:34:56,480
he had plans for his own purpose-built

863
00:34:53,839 --> 00:34:58,720
art museum in his hometown of lintz and

864
00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:02,560
its vast contents were being stored in a

865
00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:06,079
salt mine elsewhere in austria

866
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:08,240
there was a great sycophantic effort by

867
00:35:06,079 --> 00:35:10,320
senior nazis to

868
00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:12,320
to suck up to hitler and one of the

869
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:14,400
things they did when they put together

870
00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,800
these items which they confiscated in

871
00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:18,720
france or other countries was then to

872
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:21,280
record them in leather-bound volumes for

873
00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:22,800
him and eventually those leather-bound

874
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:25,280
volumes would have presumably been part

875
00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:27,440
of the inventory for the lintz museum

876
00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:29,900
and then some of those volumes were

877
00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:31,680
discovered by the monuments men

878
00:35:29,900 --> 00:35:34,800
[Music]

879
00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:36,720
by early 1945 hitler was dead and

880
00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:38,560
germany had surrendered which meant that

881
00:35:36,720 --> 00:35:40,960
the monuments men were now racing

882
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:45,000
against the invading soviet union to get

883
00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:45,000
to hitler's vast collection

884
00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:50,400
getting to the sites where the monuments

885
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:53,119
men guessed

886
00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:54,880
there would be valuable stuff that could

887
00:35:53,119 --> 00:35:58,079
be found i don't think that could ever

888
00:35:54,880 --> 00:36:01,440
be a military priority of course they

889
00:35:58,079 --> 00:36:03,680
had given up in berlin by march 1945 it

890
00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,800
was really an unadmitted deal that the

891
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,359
soviets

892
00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:09,440
were going to get to berlin first but as

893
00:36:07,359 --> 00:36:11,839
the byproduct of

894
00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:14,720
ultimate military victory there came

895
00:36:11,839 --> 00:36:16,800
access to the sites

896
00:36:14,720 --> 00:36:18,800
the monuments men were on their way to

897
00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:20,960
their final target which held the

898
00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,800
biggest treasure trove of all

899
00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:25,440
their mission thus far had seen many

900
00:36:22,800 --> 00:36:28,560
successful recoveries but much had been

901
00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:31,040
lost forever in the fighting

902
00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:33,440
in florence italy bridges that had been

903
00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:36,079
designed by michelangelo had been blown

904
00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:38,880
up by the retreating german forces and

905
00:36:36,079 --> 00:36:40,400
in the battle of monte casino of 1944

906
00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:42,700
allied bombing had brought the

907
00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,079
centuries-old abbey to ruins

908
00:36:42,700 --> 00:36:46,240
[Music]

909
00:36:44,079 --> 00:36:49,200
it was a fanatically

910
00:36:46,240 --> 00:36:50,240
defended and almost impregnable german

911
00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:53,440
position

912
00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:54,480
on the way to rome if the allies were to

913
00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:58,000
advance

914
00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:59,599
up italy monte casino was the pivotal

915
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,119
position they had to take there was no

916
00:36:59,599 --> 00:37:04,720
question about that

917
00:37:01,119 --> 00:37:08,400
but the price apart from the lives lost

918
00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:11,440
was the destruction of the abbey prior

919
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:16,240
to the onslaught of the allies on the

920
00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:19,359
monastery the hermann goring ss division

921
00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:21,920
offered its services to the benedictine

922
00:37:19,359 --> 00:37:24,720
abbot of the monastery to shift from the

923
00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:28,160
monastery sellers so they shifted

924
00:37:24,720 --> 00:37:30,720
something like 100 truckloads

925
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:32,640
of stuff priceless stuff

926
00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:36,240
from the abbey's cellars

927
00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:38,640
shifted it north to splitter near a room

928
00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:41,520
needless to say some of the shipment

929
00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:44,240
found its way to hermann goering's

930
00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:46,800
personal collection

931
00:37:44,240 --> 00:37:48,960
bombing campaigns had also caused huge

932
00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:51,760
damage to the campo santo building in

933
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:53,599
pisa dean keller of the monuments men

934
00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:58,000
did everything within his power to

935
00:37:53,599 --> 00:37:58,000
rescue what he could amongst the ruins

936
00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:02,640
but there was danger of a truly

937
00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:04,640
catastrophic loss of works occurring if

938
00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:06,640
the monuments men didn't get to outer

939
00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:08,240
sea in time where hitler's collection

940
00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:10,480
was being stored

941
00:38:08,240 --> 00:38:13,040
the nazi in charge of the mine was

942
00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:15,359
planning on blowing the whole thing up

943
00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:18,800
the guy lighter in charge when he

944
00:38:15,359 --> 00:38:20,560
received the so-called nero decree from

945
00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:22,000
hitler which said that everything was to

946
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,560
be destroyed

947
00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:26,160
that order was of course countermanded

948
00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:28,880
by many local commanders and

949
00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:31,599
counterminded by spear in relation to

950
00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,560
things like the bridges in in berlin

951
00:38:31,599 --> 00:38:34,640
so

952
00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:37,200
90 percent of the germans knew that that

953
00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:40,320
was a stupid order but this guy who is a

954
00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:42,000
dedicated nazi he tried to destroy

955
00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:44,160
everything in the mind by planting bombs

956
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:46,640
in it what happened eventually he

957
00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:49,599
planted six bombs in the mine

958
00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:52,160
those bombs were removed by the miners

959
00:38:49,599 --> 00:38:54,160
and his own troops and then one bomb was

960
00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:56,800
blown up at the entrance to make it look

961
00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:58,160
as though all of them had been exploded

962
00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:59,760
and that was really to fool their

963
00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,599
commander

964
00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:03,920
when the monuments men were able to make

965
00:39:01,599 --> 00:39:06,720
their way into the altar c mine they

966
00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:09,920
were astonished by what they found

967
00:39:06,720 --> 00:39:12,960
hitler thought of himself in a bizarre

968
00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:15,200
way as a trustee

969
00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:18,000
for the german people of an art

970
00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:20,880
collection that he could build up

971
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:22,000
thanks to the opportunities that war and

972
00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:25,200
victory

973
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:27,040
provided in the altar aussie mine were

974
00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:30,480
some of the best works which hitler

975
00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:32,000
himself wanted for his own collection

976
00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:34,560
later in the swan

977
00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:37,200
the vermeer astronomer there were some

978
00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:39,040
of the really best possible pictures

979
00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:41,040
which were stored there among the

980
00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:42,720
paintings which were for the destined

981
00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,920
for the museum there were a couple of

982
00:39:42,720 --> 00:39:45,920
vermeers

983
00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:48,560
there was one from the churning

984
00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:51,440
collection in vienna another from the

985
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:55,200
rothschilds family in paris

986
00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:57,040
hitler didn't luxuriate in

987
00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:58,880
his own collection in the way that

988
00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:01,680
goering did

989
00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:03,920
a lot of what hitler collected was kept

990
00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:05,280
stored carefully documented and

991
00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:08,400
photographed

992
00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:11,839
hitler of course entertained the fantasy

993
00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:13,839
of a an art museum at lintz

994
00:40:11,839 --> 00:40:16,560
close to where he was born in upper

995
00:40:13,839 --> 00:40:18,720
austria we have these images and in fact

996
00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:21,040
this photographic proof of hitler even

997
00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:25,599
in the final days of the war pouring

998
00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:28,480
over the grand news architectural plans

999
00:40:25,599 --> 00:40:30,079
for this museum in lintz this is typical

1000
00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:33,040
of the important works of art the

1001
00:40:30,079 --> 00:40:34,079
masterpieces which were seized by hitler

1002
00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:36,160
for his

1003
00:40:34,079 --> 00:40:39,200
grandiose museum

1004
00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:40,720
it was the biggest concentration of art

1005
00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:43,200
probably ever assembled in the world

1006
00:40:40,720 --> 00:40:45,920
actually astonishing

1007
00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:48,000
episode because there was so much there

1008
00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:51,040
and it was perfect because of

1009
00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:52,480
temperatures and it was well thought out

1010
00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:54,480
from the german's

1011
00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:55,920
point of view and it was an

1012
00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:57,920
extraordinary

1013
00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,960
treasure true of what the ghent altar

1014
00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:01,359
peace

1015
00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:03,359
was there the gender old piece from the

1016
00:41:01,359 --> 00:41:05,359
cathedral in barvo

1017
00:41:03,359 --> 00:41:08,560
has had a very checkered history in that

1018
00:41:05,359 --> 00:41:10,400
it was being seized during wartime on a

1019
00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:12,560
number of occasions there's some

1020
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:15,280
descriptions of them finding the

1021
00:41:12,560 --> 00:41:16,640
altarpiece and coming across these works

1022
00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:18,000
they had no crates they didn't have

1023
00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:19,119
proper equipment so really they were

1024
00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:21,040
finding these

1025
00:41:19,119 --> 00:41:22,880
works which we now know is sort of the

1026
00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:25,359
forefront of the history of art but

1027
00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:27,599
we're covering them in jackets gas masks

1028
00:41:25,359 --> 00:41:29,839
to transport them the michelangelo of

1029
00:41:27,599 --> 00:41:31,520
madonna of bruges

1030
00:41:29,839 --> 00:41:34,800
was also there

1031
00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:37,280
extraordinary michelangelo's madonna at

1032
00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:38,800
the church in bruges is very important

1033
00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:40,000
one of the greatest renaissance

1034
00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:42,960
sculptures

1035
00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:45,680
and uh during the war that was seized by

1036
00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:47,200
the germans that was taken by german

1037
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:49,839
soldiers when they were retreating in

1038
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:52,560
1944

1039
00:41:49,839 --> 00:41:55,520
uh they were taken uh actually in a red

1040
00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:57,200
cross truck so in breach of every geneva

1041
00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:59,440
convention as well as a breach of the

1042
00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:01,040
hay conventions they were

1043
00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:03,200
hitler's vision

1044
00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:05,119
of a post-war

1045
00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:07,760
future was

1046
00:42:05,119 --> 00:42:09,200
of everything that he'd acquired going

1047
00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:12,560
down to luntz

1048
00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:15,200
goring in a curious way vied with hitler

1049
00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:18,079
there was rivalry between them

1050
00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:21,280
but in a strange way both of them

1051
00:42:18,079 --> 00:42:22,720
were thinking ahead to the future of a

1052
00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:25,119
reich that was going to last for a

1053
00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:26,079
thousand years they had obligations to

1054
00:42:25,119 --> 00:42:28,560
the

1055
00:42:26,079 --> 00:42:30,240
to aryan people to let them see this

1056
00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,119
stuff they knew what they were looking

1057
00:42:30,240 --> 00:42:32,160
for

1058
00:42:31,119 --> 00:42:34,560
i think it's

1059
00:42:32,160 --> 00:42:36,160
easy to think of just a few key places

1060
00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:38,319
like i'll say but

1061
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:40,720
actually i think there was over 1500

1062
00:42:38,319 --> 00:42:42,640
locations found by the american army in

1063
00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:44,720
germany alone let alone all across

1064
00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:47,680
europe so there were these sort of safe

1065
00:42:44,720 --> 00:42:50,079
houses of artworks there could still be

1066
00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:52,240
more out there

1067
00:42:50,079 --> 00:42:54,400
in fact just a couple of years ago a

1068
00:42:52,240 --> 00:42:56,560
painting by the polish artist alexander

1069
00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:58,960
gorimsky which had been looted in world

1070
00:42:56,560 --> 00:43:00,079
war ii turned up at an auction in

1071
00:42:58,960 --> 00:43:02,000
hamburg

1072
00:43:00,079 --> 00:43:04,800
it was returned to its original home of

1073
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:06,880
warsaw and its discovery indicates that

1074
00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:08,880
other missing artworks could also be

1075
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:11,440
found someday

1076
00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:13,520
the estimates the figures conflict

1077
00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:15,599
fairly wildly don't they

1078
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:18,079
about the the total

1079
00:43:15,599 --> 00:43:20,319
that was was stolen virtually all of the

1080
00:43:18,079 --> 00:43:22,640
items which are missing

1081
00:43:20,319 --> 00:43:24,480
are on our database and we are looking

1082
00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:25,920
for them all the time

1083
00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:28,400
now they may have been sitting in an

1084
00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:30,240
attic for 80 years now and when they're

1085
00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:31,920
discovered nobody knows what they are so

1086
00:43:30,240 --> 00:43:33,920
it's necessary to have our searching

1087
00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:36,160
procedure searching three or four

1088
00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:37,920
hundred thousand items a year in order

1089
00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:39,359
to find those items that have not yet

1090
00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:41,440
been returned

1091
00:43:39,359 --> 00:43:44,079
but one thing's for certain

1092
00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:46,560
if it hadn't been for the monuments men

1093
00:43:44,079 --> 00:43:49,200
so much of europe's history and greatest

1094
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:52,200
achievements would have been lost

1095
00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:52,200
forever

1096
00:43:52,750 --> 00:44:17,530
[Applause]

1097
00:43:54,020 --> 00:44:20,809
[Music]

1098
00:44:17,530 --> 00:44:20,809
[Applause]

1099
00:44:28,319 --> 00:44:30,400
you