Taking Responsibility

Taking Responsibility 

In June 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, known as the Roberts Commission. The Commission's responsibility, was to protect cultural treasures, gather information about the war damages to them, compile data on cultural property looted by the Axis Powers, and encourage its rightful restitution.​​​​​​​

“In 1943, in what was called the London Declaration, the western allies issued a statement that no neutral countries should engage in any art dealings in what was known as Nazi looted art. So it was already known at that time.”

~Personal interview with Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, ~Gorden, May 9, 2025

"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​​​​​​​  (Eisenhower Directive) 

~Docs Teach

As commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II, U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower explicitly ordered his troops to safeguard objects of cultural and historical importance whenever possible.

(Left) Marshall alerted Eisenhower of the uncovered treasures. 4/10/1945.

(Right) Eisenhower's response to Marshall the very next day. 4/11/45.

~Docs Teach 

 General Dwight D. Eisenhower,inspects art treasures stolen by the Germans.  ~National Archives

"It is the responsibility of every commander to protect and respect these symbols whenever possible."

~General Dwight D. Eisenhower 

"For democracy at least, there always stands beyond the materialism of war, the ideals for which it is fought."                         

~General Dwight D. Eisenhower 

The Eisenhower Directive  ~Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1944-05-26

                                   The Importance of Eisenhower's Words 

Personal Interview with Marc Porter, Chairman of Christie’s Americas, ~Gorden, May 8, 2025

"The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, often referred to as the Monuments Men, was an international group established in 1943 that worked under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections to help protect cultural property during and after World War II. Their mission was to identify art, architecture, monuments, and archives that needed to be preserved; work with Allied commanders to limit damage to these cultural resources; work with local officials to stabilize and repair damages to monuments and architecture; identify and locate art, archives, and other cultural resources that had been removed by German forces; gather recovered works into staging areas for identification and preservation; and return the works to legitimate owners."

~Eisenhower Presidential Library

"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."

~Mission Statement of Monuments Men

The Monuments Men 

Rose Valland (1898-1980)

Thomas Carr Howe Jr. (right) helps transport Michelangelo’s sculpture, Madonna and Child

"Three hundred and forty-five men and women from thirteen countries spent 1945 canvassing over 1,000 troves containing an estimated 5 million pieces of artwork and cultural items stolen from wealthy Jews, museums, universities, and religious institutions.”​​​​​​​

~Eisenhower Presidential Library 

Salt mines housing looted art in Altaussee, Austria​​​​​​​

“To those who served to save a little of the beauty of this world.” ~epigraph, memoirs of Rose Valland​​​​​​​

Images and text in the section courtesy of Smithsonian Archives of American Art

German loot stored at Schlosskirche Ellingen, Bavaria 

In 2015, John Boehner honored the Monuments Men with the Congressional Gold Medal. Six living members of the Monuments Men and Women attended the ceremony.

"This is a small group of people who, acting purely on their passion and courage, reclaimed the world's most valuable treasures."

~Speaker John Boehner, Courtesy House of Representatives website


~United States House of Representatives website


~United States House of Representatives website

"The Monuments Men recovered approximately 21,000 stolen collectors’ items along with thirty-nine leather-bound photograph albums documenting looted items. These books, some of which [were] presented to Hitler for his birthday, were used as evidence at the Nuremberg Trials."

~Eisenhower Library