Robert Edsel's Blog

GUEST BLOGGER MONUMENTS MAN HARRY ETTLINGER

September 4th, 2009 | 11:43 am

Ettlinger-w-Rembrandt

I am Harry Ettlinger, the youngest and one of the very, very few WWII Monuments Men still alive.

As we go through life, we keep learning and bring to our minds a great variety of experiences.  Recently I saw a film about the destruction of Buddhist figures by the Taliban in Afghanistan.  It ended with a showing of a banner over the entrance of the Art Museum in the Capital of that country.  Its message: “No nation can exist without culture and history.”

I realize today that as Monuments Men, we started the work to restore the culture taken away by Nazis from hundreds of millions of human beings. Today, we must distribute that important part of history to the billions of men and women in this world.

32.Ettlinger-Rembrandt

In a tiny way, I, having been given the privilege of working as a Monuments Man, feel now compelled to aid in spreading the message, so eloquently stated on that banner.

You can start by reading Robert Edsel’s new book The Monuments Men.

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 4th, 2009 at 11:43 am and is filed under Amazing Stories, Military, Monuments Men, Monuments Men Book, Monuments Men Foundation, World War II. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “GUEST BLOGGER MONUMENTS MAN HARRY ETTLINGER”

  1. Marilyn Hill says:
    September 4, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    Hi,
    Robert and Harry,
    I saw that sign and the report and thought the same thing! I do not have the new book but have the Theft educational program. I have spoken personally to both of you and hope to see you both again with the new book so you can sign it. will you be in NY or NJ soon?

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