Preserving Cultural History During WWII

In 1943, during the largest and most destructive war in history, the United States embarked on a mission to safeguard Europe’s cultural heritage. In one of the Second World War’s more unique episodes, professionals from the academic and artistic worlds collaborated with the military to preserve and protect historic and artistic treasures, including museums, libraries, cathedrals, historical buildings, monuments, and other precious objects from the ravages of war. Known to history as the Monuments Men, these individuals and their efforts laid the foundation for later attempts to identify, protect, and preserve cultural heritage sites in times of war.