Robert Edsel's Blog

(Photo Courtesy of Kings College, Cambridge)

Today we honor the anniversary of British Monuments Man Ronald Balfour’s death. He was one of two Monuments Men killed in action while working to preserve the cultural heritage of Europe. While writing The Monuments Men, we researched his papers at King’s College, Cambridge. As usual, his papers were not only filled with reports and biographical information, but also touching personal letters and memories of him from professional associates and loved ones.

Amongst these things we found a draft of a lecture he had prepared for soldiers on the importance of protecting cultural property in times of war. We don’t know if the lecture was ever given, but his words perfectly and eloquently summarize the mission of the Monuments Men.

“We do not want to destroy unnecessarily what men spent so much time and care and skill in making…[for] these examples of craftsmanship tell us so much about our ancestors…If these things are lost or broken or destroyed, we lose a valuable part of our knowledge about our forefathers. No age lives entirely alone; every civilization is formed not merely by its own achievements but by what it has inherited from the past. If these things are destroyed, we have lost a part of our past, and we shall be the poorer for it.”

You may read Balfour’s full biography here: http://monumentsmen.com/bio.php?id=11

It’s hard to believe that this is our 20th newsletter! So much has happened in the last 3 years. I hope you enjoy our latest publication – just click to download the PDF version.

Elliott Dlin, the longtime director of Dallas’ Holocaust Museum. (Photo Courtesy of Dallas Morning News)

Everyone who has accomplished anything of importance has benefited by a key break from someone else.  Perhaps it was the opening of a door to see someone otherwise unavailable, or help with solving a seemingly irresolvable problem.  Oftentimes it’s something as simple as receiving an encouraging word.  This has certainly been true for the Monuments Men Foundation!

One of the people who played an important role in our work and was a constant supporter of mine was Elliot Dlin, an instrumental figure in the Jewish community and longtime director of the Dallas Holocaust Museum.  This week, Elliot died at the far too young age of 57.

I met Elliot at a booksigning for my first book, Rescuing Da Vinci, in 2006.  This large man, who possessed the charming and genuine smile of a happy boy, came bounding up to me, bypassing the line of people in the most kind and enthusiastic of ways, and said….”I’m Elliot Dlin and I can’t wait to show you some of the documents and letters your work has brought to mind!!!” His passion and and energy for not only his work, but LIFE, were hallmarks of his engaging personality.

Over the next three years I saw Elliot 3-4 times per year, sometimes at events, and on other occasions when I visited the Dallas Holocaust Museum.  Each time he would greet me with his warm smile and tell me how happy he was to see me – and I always knew he meant it.  This fine man and dedicated public servant followed our work closely and took time to relay his pride in our achievements.  He was a giver, a sharer, someone who wanted those around him to succeed.

In late 2006 Elliot contacted me, even before the Foundation was officially formed, to seek my assistance with several calls he had received from someone who claimed to have important Nazi documents.  Elliot selflessly turned this over to the Foundation to handle.  Over the course of the following year the Foundation not only determined the importance of the discovery, but ultimately acquired and then donated these documents to the National Archives.  It was a great success for the Foundation and the Dallas Holocaust Museum, and a significant benefit for our nation. No one was more pleased than Elliot and appropriately so:  but for his call to us, we might never have known about the lead.

We mourn the loss of this good man and extend to his family, and all those who knew and loved him, our most sincere condolences.

Elliot Dlin at the 2008 Hope for Humanities Dinner and Award Banquet. (Photo Courtesy of Dallas Holocaust Museum)

Ken Lindsay (1919 - 2009) (Photo Courtesy of Agon Arts & Entertainment)

A year ago today, the world lost a great man – Monuments Man Ken Lindsay. His legacy still lives on at the Monuments Men Foundation.

Ken Lindsay was as polite and kind a person as he was passionate and articulate about art. When I first met him and his lovely wife Christine, I was so captivated to hear him recount his experiences as a soldier and Monuments Man that I laid my pen down and just listened. The twinkle in his eyes belied his age, for his words were clear, precise and empowered with youthful energy.

(Photo Courtesy of Robert M. Edsel Collection)

Like many MFAA personnel, Lindsay did not initially join the military as a Monuments officer, rather he was drafted and first served with signal intelligence at SHAEF headquarters. He marched through France with the U.S. 3rd Army and was later appointed to the Wiesbaden Collecting Point under the directorship of Monuments officer Capt. Walter Farmer. Because Lindsay was not an officer, he was not among the signatories to the “Wiesbaden Manifesto,” a document which expressed opposition to the removal of German-owned artworks to the United States for safekeeping. However, he did strongly agree with its sentiment.

One of his most memorable experiences at Wiesbaden was the uncrating of the ancient Egyptian Bust of Queen Nefertiti (seen in the photo on the left), which had been evacuated for safekeeping from the Berlin museums towards the end of the war. Lindsay recalled the moment the bust was removed from its protective casing: “Within an instant, every man in there fell hopelessly in love with her – that face – absolutely beautiful.”

Ken Lindsay reading (Photo Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration)

After the war, Lindsay was a professor of art history at Williams College, Williamstown, MA. He left in 1951 to become professor and later chair of the art history department at Harpur College, Binghamton University (SUNY) until 1990. During his retirement, Dr. Lindsay remained busy. He wrote an article about the Wiesbaden Manifesto and the controversial decision to transfer German-owned artworks to the United States, entitled “Official Art Seizure Under the Military Cloak,” in the journal Art, Antiquity, and Law (vol. 3, no. 2, June 1998).

I was recently honored to become a Trustee of our nation’s National World War ll Museum in New Orleans.  For those of you who may not know, this museum is the joint vision of the great historian and the most popular storyteller of World War ll, the late Dr. Stephen Ambrose, and his best friend of 30 years, fellow historian and current CEO of the Museum, Dr. Nick Mueller. It has a dedicated board of trustees, a passionate group of employees, and prominent volunteer supporters, including Tom Hanks and Tom Brokaw, who together have created one of the most exciting and interesting visitor experiences in the world.

The museum is unparalleled in its telling of the war.  It has just opened a unique 4-D theater, home to “Beyond All Boundaries”, a one of a kind film produced by Tom Hanks which may only be seen in this theater.  The film presents an extraordinary summary of the war and the events which led to it.  Appealing to adults and kids alike, this museum is one of our country’s great cultural experiences in the exciting and fully recovered city of New Orleans.

This week the museum is having a “Band of Brothers” marathon leading up to the newest HBO special, “The Pacific”.  Anyone seeking a great experience should hop on a Southwest Airlines jet and get a front row seat for this great event!

Photo Courtesy of Robert M. Edsel Collection

This is but one of the dozens and dozens of touching messages I have come across in researching the letters of the Monuments Men. Western Union telegrams were sent only on rare, and oftentimes very special, occasions – in this case Monuments Man Robert Posey sent a birthday telegram to his young son, Dennis. Posey was stationed in Nancy, France in February 1944, and no doubt missed his family tremendously.

Photo Courtesy of CNN

As they say in westerns, “where’s the sheriff when you need one?”

I previously wrote about the damage to Haiti’s great national cathedral (blog dated February 9) and pointed out the hope that restoring it can bring to the citizens of this devastated country.  These cultural symbols with which they have lived for decades bring hope and inspiration; they’re destruction conveys the opposite message.  But in Haiti, like in war torn Europe at the end of World War II, the damage to culture went far beyond buildings and structures to include paintings, sculpture…in fact, most every form art takes.  This was the overwhelming challenge faced by the Monuments Men and women in the days after the war.

Christiane Amanpour, one of the truly gifted journalists of our time, due in no small part to her years of travel and fascinating family of origin, “gets it” in my view on this and so many other subjects.  Art matters; culture matters.  They are priceless parts of our existence; when they are damaged or our ability to enjoy them restricted as was the case in Nazi Germany, our lives are greatly diminished in ways few appreciate until those horrible moments are presented.  Christiane has prepared a great piece about the cost to Haiti in terms of its loss of cultural heritage due to the damage of works of art from the earthquake. The link is http://www.cnn.com/haitilostart.html

We must always state how much we mourn those who are no longer in Haiti, the tragic victims of this epic natural disaster.  But our focus must now shift to those who have survived, and those who have a chance to recover.  As time passes, these symbols of hope—the cultural heritage of a nation—will become increasingly important to the people of Haiti, perhaps less due to a desire to enjoy them initially and more so knowing that until the day when the rebuilding has begun, their cultural patrimony is safe.  Compliments to Christiane Amanpour for her insights and program.

U.S. Marine Lane Faison (Photo Courtesy of Sandy Faison)

When my book on the Monuments Men was reviewed by The Washington Post in what was an expansive and, overall, good review (but for the “drive by” parting comment), the writer did take exception to my characterization of these men and women as “heroes” stating:

“In civilian life they were professional art people or patrons of the arts, and they seem to have regarded their work during the war as an extension and amplification of their civilian careers. They worked very hard and very effectively, but they seem to have had no sense of (or inclination toward) heroics, and my judgment is that they should be viewed accordingly: with respect and gratitude, but not elevated to the exalted precincts of heroism.”

I found this comment astonishing:  two Monuments Men were killed in action, others had many close calls, most all volunteered, and without exception all of them made a significant sacrifice.  The Monuments Men and women not only didn’t have to be in combat, but many of them had to go to considerable lengths just to finagle their way into active duty.  I remain of the opinion that the Monuments Men and women WERE heroes, one and all.

I apply the same standard to men and women in uniform today.  Some kids join gangs; some go to college or trade school; some chase the almighty dollar; and some goof off.  Others still enter military service as a career; some do it for the opportunity to receive a great college education they might otherwise not be able to afford.  Others hope to continue a family tradition of military service.  Whatever the reason, these brave men and women are stationed somewhere around the world which means they are away from family, friends, and serving their nation, often in harm’s way.  Yes, they are paid for duty (as are police officers and firemen—and I consider them heroes also!), but that shouldn’t diminish the degree of sacrifice involved with their job in any way.  Every soldier I see in an airport, headed home on leave or back to his or her unit, has by dint of service earned my respect and admiration.

One such soldier who I want to mention is the grandson of one of our beloved Monuments Men (S. Lane Faison, Jr.), Lane Faison.  His great grandfather served in the U. S. Army and his grandfather served in the U.S. Navy with distinction.  His grandfather was someone I adored, an early member of the OSS who interrogated many of the Nazis in an effort to determine their respective roles in the art thefts and discern what Hitler’s plans were for the Führermuseum he hoped to build in his hometown of Linz.  I first met his grandson, Lane, at his memorial service in December 2006, a little more than a month after having interviewed his grandfather.  In the time since, Lane joined the U. S. Marines and is currently serving overseas having seen duty in Afghanistan.   We are all proud of his sense of purpose and willingness to serve his country in this manner. I know his grandfather would be beaming with pride.

To Lane, and all his fellow servicemen and women, especially those in harm’s way, we salute you, wish you success with your mission, and a safe return home upon completion.

Photo Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

Perhaps one of the most controversial and misguided decisions of World War II was made when General Mark Clark of the U.S. Fifth Army ordered the Abbey of Monte Cassino to be bombed. Some Allied leaders, as well as the soldiers on the ground fighting the terrible battle of Monte Cassino and the general public, believed that the Germans occupied the monastery and were using it as an observation point. The Abbey of Monte Cassino had become a symbol of defeat, and many felt that the Allies could not advance until it was destroyed.

Photo Courtesy of NARA

On February 15, 1944, Allied pilots were told that their “target is a huge ancient monastery which the Germans have chosen as a key defense point and have loaded with heavy guns…In the past few days this monastery has accounted for the lives of 2,000 American boys…this Monastery MUST be destroyed and everyone in it as there is no one in it but Germans.”[1] From 9:28 am to 1:33 pm, 453.5 tons of bombs were dropped on the Abbey of Monte Cassino. The abbey, founded in AD 529 and the birthplace of the Benedictine order, was bombed into oblivion.

Nazi Field Marshal Kesserlring’s headquarters was informed of the bombings by 10:30 am. “His chief of staff, Major-General Siefgried Westphal, asked by telephone, “Has it done us any harm from a military point of view?” He was told by his counterpart at the Tenth Army, “No, because we are not occupying it.” [2]

Photo Courtesy of NARA

The Vatican quickly responded, calling the destruction of the abbey “a colossal blunder” and a “piece of gross stupidity.” Thankfully, the lesson was learned and the Monuments Men swung into full action shortly after the bombing of the Abbey. They sought to ensure that historic monuments were never again treated with such disregard, or destroyed so carelessly.

[2] Ibid.

The National Cathedral of Haiti devastated by the recent earthquake. (Photo Courtesy of Polaris Images)

I’ve often said that perhaps the most redeeming aspect of the historic work of the Monuments Men is one of hope…that in the face of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man, and amidst the great human suffering and devastation to homes, towns, and ways of life as a consequence of World War II, a small group of volunteers emerged to risk their lives and everything they had accomplished to rescue and preserve the cultural legacy of civilization for future generations.  This story is certainly filled with heroism, valor, and harrowing close calls in which western civilization’s most beloved works of art and monuments were in jeopardy of being destroyed.   But the story is also one of hope that the lessons of the Monuments Men during World War II would enable future generations to be better prepared to deal with similar situations.

In Haiti, a natural disaster of war-like scope has devastated the nation and its people and suspended the normal functioning of their society.  The deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and more importantly all ongoing efforts to save the lives of others while creating a stable safe living environment must be the paramount concern.  This will be years in the doing; no quick fix exists.  Haiti’s long history of poverty and decades of kleptocratic leadership have created that reality despite noble efforts, and some signs of progress, these past few years.   Because of the protracted time that rebuilding even a modicum portion of the infrastructure will require, hope—and all its symbols—will have an added significance.

Hope buys time…hope buys patience…hope can provide a reason to fight for life just one more day until improvement comes, no matter how slight. Hope can bring a sense of confidence about there being tomorrows.  And in my judgment, the people of Haiti need hope as desperately as they need medicine, doctors, and financial aid.  What then can be done that would bring a disproportionate benefit to the aid dollars and individual acts of mercy?  Let us for a moment look to the past as a guide.

Rouen Cathedral damaged by bombing in 1944 (Photo Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration)

The thousands of discoveries during World War ll made by the Monuments Men of hidden paintings, stained glass, pieces of sculpture, and other art objects too often overshadows their initial assignment which was to protect monuments, i.e., churches, libraries, museums, and other important historical structures, hence the nickname “Monuments Men.”   The Monuments Men were not responsible for restoring these buildings, but they did oftentimes implement crucial temporary repairs that mitigated damage and enabled restoration at a later date.  They also made key determinations about which structures were damaged beyond repair and those that, while severely damaged, could in fact be rebuilt using as much of the original materials and structure as possible.

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, 1953 (Photo Courtesy of AKG Images)

Many examples of the results of their work and other people of good will exist, but two that are prominent and serve to illustrate the point are the great cathedral in Rouen, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.  The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen was severely damaged in April 1944 by Western Allied bombing, and again during the D-Day invasion two months later.  It was repaired after the war and remains one of Europe’s great gothic cathedrals, dating back to 1202!  The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, built in honor of Germany’s Emperor (1858-1888), was nearly destroyed in a Western Allied air raid on November 23, 1943.  As late as May 24th, 1953, the church was still unrepaired with parishioners attending services in the ruins of the structure.  Repairs to the church didn’t begin until 1959 and required 4 years to finish.

The National Cathedral of Haiti before the earthquake (Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia Images)

And After (Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia Images)

Haiti’s great church, the National Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, was severely damaged by the earthquake.  Built between 1884 and 1914, the Cathédrale de Port-au-Prince is a Roman Catholic Church of hugely symbolic importance to Haitians, more than 90% of whom are Catholic. It is, along with the presidential palace, the most identifiable structure in the nation.  (To put this into perspective, imagine the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. being destroyed, or St. Patrick’s in New York City.)  While the roof collapsed, much of the structure’s walls remain standing, in fact eerily similar to the scenes of destruction to the Rouen and Berlin churches.  Those churches were rebuilt:  the National Cathedral in Port-au-Prince should be also.

Imagine the impact on these shattered Haitian lives to see this revered structure rebuilt and done so in a way to withstand future earthquakes? And not rebuilt for them, but rebuilt BY THEM combining their physical participation with the technological assistance of experts in such matters, and the funding and support of kindred organizations such as the Vatican, the World Monuments Fund, and others.  The symbol of hope and reassurance to the people of Haiti that there WILL be a tomorrow would be immense and inspirational.  With guidance and assistance from those in the United States, including our government, it would send a message to the world that the leaders of this nation understand the importance of respect for the preservation of cultural property in a way our actions in the aftermath of the looting of the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad in 2003 did just the opposite. This was the very essence of why the Monuments Men were created, the core objective of their mission.  It worked in war torn Europe after the deaths of 60 million people.  Why then should it not work in Haiti?