Monuments Men

We watched The Monuments Men this weekend.

Have you seen this movie yet?  It is based upon a true story.

During World War 2, Adolf Hitler was flexing his military might, taking over Europe, and working his way into Asia.

While he was busy attempting to take over the world, he had his army stealing major works of art from the people that he had invaded.  Private collections, museums, churches, nothing was considered off limits.  He was attempting to gather the treasures of the human race and keep them for himself.  Whatever he deemed to be unworthy, or degenerate, he would destroy, removing them forever from the human experience.

A team of men from the United States, Great Britain, and France began a search for these missing works before they were lost forever.  These men were museum directors, art historians, and curators.  Traveling around Europe, searching on the front lines for these missing works of art, these men would go unarmed into situations to rescue as much art as possible - track down the owners, and if, at all possible, return it to the owner or their descendants.

This was a fascinating movie.  I tend to forget- in the midst of the crisis in the Ukraine, and the ongoing disaster in the Middle East, what the Greatest Generation actually accomplished for all of us - for the future of the world, and for our children.  Can you imagine if all of this art had disappeared forever from the face of the world?  Their is only one other event in Human History that would compare with this loss to the common human experience- the destruction of the Library at Alexandria.

The book, The Monuments Men, was written by Robert Edsel.  I haven't read it yet.  I have requested it at the library. I'm currently #450 on the waiting list.  I am curious to read "the rest of the story".  While George Clooney did a fantastic job capturing the story on film, I really want to read the story, and see what material did not make it into the movie.

I think in the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty we have going on around us right now, it does help to remember what has happened before, and that we were able to triumph in the midst of great loss and great adversity.

The movie gave me much to think about - and much to be thankful for.


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