1945: The Mona Lisa Being Unpacked At The End Of World War II (Colorized)

February 3, 2021

One Of Many Treasures Held By Foreign Powers During WWII

World War II and the Nazis incited some of the worst war crimes ever perpetrated by human beings. However, they didn’t stop with just people. Hitler was obsessed with creating a new world order with the German people standing as leaders of his white-washed world. To further his aims, Hitler created the Nazi's Reichsleiter Rosenberg Task force to plunder precious art from all over Europe. According to estimates, over 20% of Europe’s artwork ended up in the hands of the Nazis.

Only a secretive journey around France kept the Mona Lisa safe.

World War II and the Nazis incited some of the worst war crimes ever perpetrated by human beings. However, they didn’t stop with just people. Hitler was obsessed with creating a new world order with the German people standing as leaders of his white-washed world. To further his aims, Hitler created the Nazi's Reichsleiter Rosenberg Task force to plunder precious art from all over Europe. According to estimates, over 20% of Europe’s artwork ended up in the hands of the Nazis.

As part of his many delusions, Hitler planned a Führer Museum in Linz, Austria. He was also keen on destroying any artwork by Jewish painters, modern artists, or anything he discerned as "degenerate." Thankfully, Francis Henry Taylor, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, beseeched Washington to protect Europe’s great works. President Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed and formed the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program in 1943. Their goal was to recover and return art stolen by the Nazis.

Troops of the Monument Men & Women. (National Archives and Records Administration)

Monument Men

Many of the men and women recruited into President Roosevelt’s program were civilians who risked their lives to save the precious art of Europe. George Clooney even made a movie recounting the tireless efforts of these art superheroes. As movies often do, the film fails to truly illustrate the work of these historians and curators who were tasked with persevering the culture of many countries.

Over 5 million works of art were saved from Nazi hiding places all over Europe. Some of these recovered pieces were amongst the most celebrated and valuable pieces ever made, including the Mona Lisa.