Robert Edsel's Blog

Monuments Men Bernard Taper and Harry Ettlinger

My dad used to say, “the most important thing about birthdays is to keep having them!”.  A little Yogi Berra I admit, but like many things he told me, the wisdom became more apparent with time.

Part of his message was to slow down and celebrate them; each is precious. So today we pause for a moment to acknowledge the birthdays of two of our heroes, Monuments Men Bernard Taper and Harry Ettlinger.  I’ve spent a lot of time with both of these men and they are wonderful human beings over and above their many life accomplishments.

Strangely enough, I introduced Harry and Bernie to each other on June 5th, 2007, the day before our Senate Ceremony to honor all of the men and women of 13 nations who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section.  They were like two bugs in a rug from the outset swapping stories, sharing experiences.  It didn’t take long to make a significant connection:  both had interrogated Hitler’s good friend and personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffman, interestingly almost a year apart.

I walked behind them through the halls of the Senate as we headed to an appointment to meet Senator Hillary Clinton, leaning over their shoulders ease dropping on their conversation.  I always marvel at how similar older people are to young kids in the most endearing of ways. Watching the two of them get to know each other reminded me of two boys at a playground immediately engaged in conversation as if they had known each other all their lives, void of pretense and ego, just happy to have a friend.  I always cherish their first meeting among my many memories.

So here’s to our friends, Harry Ettlinger and Bernard Taper:  may you both remain in good health and be with us for many more such happy occasions!

Today, The Monuments Men Year-End Newsletter for 2009 was released to the general public. Inside this newsletter, you can read about the various creative content we have produce, our ongoing engagement with the public through the media to bring much need attention to the Monuments Men, the various honors bestowed upon the Monuments Men Foundation, and all the incredible memories bringing this story to life.  Many thanks to all that have worked on this project through the years.

Please take a minute to read the The Monuments Men Year-End Newsletter.

If you would like to sign up for future newsletters, please click here (fill out form on the right side to submit).

Monuments Men Foundation Announces that Famous Murillo Paintings Stolen from Rothschild Family in Paris, later discovered by the Monuments Men during World War II, have been Identified at SMU’s Meadows Museum

Dallas, TX (October 22, 2009) — Based on new evidence about the systematic looting of art from Jewish owners in the course of hostilities in Europe during World War II, a pair of famous paintings on display at SMU’s Meadows Museum created by Spanish master Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1618-1682) of Seville’s Patron Saints Justa and Rufina, estimated to be worth more than $10 million, are believed to have been stolen from the Rothschild family in Paris in 1941. The Nazi ERR (Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg) code evidencing Rothschild ownership is still visible on the stretcher bar of one of the paintings; it appears to have been rubbed off the other. The Monuments Men Foundation, recipient of the 2007 National Humanities Medal for its work preserving the legacy of these unknown heroes, which it received from the President of the United States at a White House ceremony, is continuing its research to document conclusively whether both paintings were properly restituted to the rightful owners prior to donation to the Meadows Museum.

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Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy (1932 - 2009)

Senator Ted Kennedy, whose leadership of this nation spanned half a century, has died of a brain tumor. He lived 77 years, but filled them with far more than that of experiences.  In my view, despite his ambitions and those of his family to be elected president, he had a far broader and more lasting impact on our nation as Senator of Massachusetts.

This man was a critical early supporter of our Senate Resolution to honor the Monuments Men and women of all 13 nations. Out initial contacts with Senators began in January 2007 with visits to all 100 offices at the three buildings in which they office.  Christy Fox, who has been such a vital part of ongoing effort to recognize these heroes and preserve their legacy, accompanied me and helped me carry some of the Rescuing Da Vinci books we were giving each Senator as a way of explaining who these men and women were.  Senator Kennedy was one of the earliest visits we made.

Just entering his office was an overwhelming experience; I had to sit down and catch my breath.  On the walls were literally hundreds of photographs that covered the past 50 years of this country’s history:  every world leader, every major event–happy and sad, every notable moment was captured in some photograph hanging on those walls.  It was a visual representation of the trials and accomplishments of a young nation growing up, and the common denominator was Senator Ted Kennedy.

We quickly received word he supported the proposed Resolution full on.  With his Harvard connections to the Monuments Men (more than 30 were educated there), Boston connections to its great museums including the Museum of Fine Art and Isabella Stewart Gardner, and his long-standing support of the arts, it was no surprise he wanted to honor these heroes of civilization and assist our efforts.  But the moment I shall never forget was returning from a run one hot afternoon several months later to open my mailbox and see a letter from Senator Kennedy to me which stated, in part, the following:

With Senator Kennedy’s death we lose a stalwart champion of caring for others, especially those among our great nation whose voices are too often ignored.  He used his privilege and resources to make the world around him a better place.  His was a lifetime of service on behalf of others.  We as a nation, and in fact our world, are diminished for his loss.

Tonight PBS will broadcast to the nation our documentary film, The Rape of Europa. This wonderful film will be seen by millions of people unfamiliar with the subject of Hitler and the Nazis’ premeditated looting of Europe and their use of art as a weapon of propaganda to promote their racial theories. Making any film is a challenge. Making a great film, one good enough that PBS would allocate such a prominent slot for its airing during “sweeps” week, is a rare achievement which speaks to the importance of the subject matter. While this is a significant milestone, it is only the first of several that will follow.

We are very excited about providing that PBS audience, and of course people everywhere, the opportunity to learn more about this important story…about the heroes who saved so much of the art, the Monuments Men…about the behind the scenes stories we filmed…about the lessons learned, and those that were ignored…about how the events of World War II should have prepared us for the events that unfolded after the looting of the Iraq National Museum in 2003. These stories couldn’t be told in just two hours and for that reason, and for that reason we created The Rape of Europa Collector’s Edition which contains almost 7 additional hours of interviews, archival footage, and in-depth analysis of key events that were only briefly covered in the two hour film. One example of this extended content is our interview with Corine Wegener, a retired Army major who served in Iraq working to repair the damage to not only their national museum, but our country’s image. This unique DVD is only available on Amazon and is being offered at a special introductory price for a limited time. You can link to order that DVD by clicking on http://www.rapeofeuropa.com.

Of far greater importance is our educational program which is named The Greatest Theft in History Educational Program! This Educational Program is innovative and comprehensive providing a resource not currently available to educators and students. It provides on-line lesson plans customized for classroom instruction by our nationally acclaimed group of educators under the supervision of our Educational Advisory Board members. (To see the names of our team of educators and Educational Advisory Board and their CV’s, please click on the following links: http://www.greatesttheft.com/advisoryboard and http://www.greatesttheft.com/writingteam). This program will enable teachers to concentrate their time on teaching, not on looking for materials to teach. By making clips from our Educational DVD and other material we will be continually adding to the website along with other unique features, we have constructed a “one-stop does all” destination for anyone interested in learning more about the protection of cultural resources during armed conflict, the events of World War II and how critical a factor art was to Hitler and the Nazis’ plans, and of course the heroes of the story, the Monuments Men. Our hours of extended interviews and other materials will allow students and interested parties of all ages to participate in the writing of this final chapter to World War II. The students of today will be the ones assisting us in solving the remaining riddles and mysteries of this amazing chapter of the war including developing clues as to the whereabouts of so much of the still missing art and other cultural treasures stolen during the war.

We have constructed this Educational Program with affordability in mind by pricing the entire program at $35/ program which includes the almost 9 hour Educational DVD and access to the custom designed website which contains lesson plans and other teaching resources making it accessible for people of all ages and interests. Already the responses from teachers and other organizations has been gratifying and rewarding…but it is just the beginning.

(Monuments Men (from left to right): Bernard Taper, James Reeds, Harry Ettlinger, and Horace Apgar)

One year ago I had a sleepless night at the business center of a really crummy hotel in Washington, D.C. Through the wee hours of the morning I drafted and redrafted the speech I would deliver later that day — the 63rd Anniversary of the D-Day landings – -at the Senate Ceremony to recognize and honor the Monuments Men of all 13 nations.

Events of June 6th, 2007 unfolded in the most dignified manner befitting the contribution of these men and women during World War ll. That this would be the last trip taken by my father before his death earlier this year was something I sensed might happen. So his presence, in particular the visit on June 5th with the Monuments Men and their spouses to the World War ll Memorial, made this the experience of my life.

How did we pull it off? Angels, pure and simple. Congresswoman Kay Granger and her staff invested countless hours helping us. We will always hold her special for she was the first person to ask, "how can I help?". Others followed, Senators, members of Congress, staffers, organizers, and others whose help made our plans a reality. But behind the scenes, two people stand alone without whom we would not have succeeded.

(Karen Evans)

Christy Fox and Karen Evans love these men. Every waking hour has been spent helping me do my job, helping me garner the recognition they deserve. I, alone, have received the media attention, but their toil in the trenches has enabled us to experience the success attendant to this project. Karen spent a week in Washington preparing to receive the Monuments Men and their families while looking over my parents and all the details of the lunches and private dinners we hosted. Not a detail was overlooked. Such has been her dedication to these men and one woman these past 4 years, day in and day out. She regularly speaks with them, offers words of encouragement when illness strikes, finds little ways to show them the respect and love she feels for who they are and what they did. No amount of recognition would be too great for her endless dedication to them.

(Christy Fox)

Christy Fox once commented about my respect for elderly people. I can’t recall a more rewarding compliment. But it is Christy who sets the example. The depth of her respect and love for these men is immeasurable. She helped me carry 100 copies of my book, 6 at a time, each of which weigh 4.6 pounds, into the Senate buildings which took us three full days. We personally delivered each one to a Senator and explained who the Monument Men were and why they were important as part of our effort to gain support for the Senate Resolution. Her credibility with the media allowed her to obtain coverage few organizations of any size could ever obtain. Her pitch was genuine, well prepared, and timely in every instance. She hates the limelight as does Karen, yet without her the events of a year ago wouldn’t have happened.

It is wise to remember our achievements and the hard work that went into making aspirations realities. But it is essential that we also recognize two people whose dedication and sacrifice produced the results that followed. In honoring these heroes they did themselves honor. On behalf of the Monuments Men, we salute you both!!!

(Congratulating the Monuments Men of all 13 nations at the Senate Ceremony on June 6, 2007)