THE WORK OF THE MONUMENTS MEN CONTINUES
May 24th, 2010 | 4:38 pm
From left to right: Dr. Hans-Martin Hinz from the DHM (Deutsches Historisches Museum), Mr. Florian Scheurle from the BADV/Ministry of Finance, and Robert M. Edsel. Photo courtesy of Deutsches Historisches Museum.
Last week’s return of the Gemäldegalerie Linz Album XIII to the DHM (Deutsches Historisches Museum) in Berlin was another milestone achievement in our efforts to actively preserve the legacy of these remarkable men and women who saved so much of our cultural heritage during and after World War ll. We honor their memory and underscore the modern day need to continue their work with events such as this.
We were so warmly received by Dr. Hans-Martin Hinz and his team at the DHM, a remarkable museum filled with more objects and knowledge about German history than anyone could ever fully study. Much like our National Archives, the DHM team has made history interactive and fun for people of all ages, especially foreign visitors. I encourage anyone visiting Berlin to allocate a half day minimum to see some of its remarkable displays.
From left to right: Dorothee Schneider, Dr. Birgit Schwartz (art historian), Dr. Hans-Martin Hinz (DHM), Robert Edsel, Dr. Matthias Miller (head of the library and curator of Old Master Prints DHM), Translator, Mr. Max Maldacker (Foreign Ministry, Head of Department for Culture and Communication), Ms. Maja Schweitzer (Foreign Ministry, Department for Culture and Communication), Mr. Harald Konig (BADV/Finance Ministry). Photo Courtesy of Deutsches Historisches Museum.
After the return ceremony we were given a brief tour of just the reading room in their library. Remarkably this room appears largely as it did when constructed more than a hundred years ago. It contains many old and priceless manuscripts including the first edition of Goethe’s “Faust” dated 1808, a 1200 year old handwritten document called the “Heliand fragment” written in an old Saxonian dialect now extinct, and even a first edition of the German children’s book ”Max & Moritz” from 1865, which sold at auction in Germany for about 125,000 Euro.”
These cultural exchanges of good will between countries won’t change our world, but each step, no matter how small, further and strengthen the ties that bind us. These alliances are essential to overcoming the challenges of our new world.
