So, what did the U.S. Army do with the Prussian Regimental Flags found at Bernterode?

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park During 2013 I published in Prologue an article about the disposition of the caskets of Field Marshal and Weimar President Paul von Hindenburg and of his wife, Frederick the Great, and Frederich Wilhelm I, that had been recovered … Continue reading So, what did the U.S. Army do with the Prussian Regimental Flags found at Bernterode?

The Monuments Men in September and October 1945: Restitutions

Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park On September 13, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower (the Military Governor of the American Zone of Germany and Commander of U.S. Forces European Theater (USFET)) as part of his program to get the restitution program moving, although … Continue reading The Monuments Men in September and October 1945: Restitutions

The Monuments Men in August 1945: The Belgian Treasures

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park In May 1945, elements of the Third U.S. Army reached and captured the mine at Alt Aussee, Austria, which the Germans had used to store looted cultural treasures. They were quickly followed by Third U.S. Army Monuments Men (Monuments, … Continue reading The Monuments Men in August 1945: The Belgian Treasures

The Monuments Men in June 1945: The Evacuation of Siegen Completed

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park The Monuments Men (the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFA&A) Specialist Officers) were busy during June 1945 locating and overseeing some 600 emergency repositories containing cultural property and providing for the evacuation of some of that property to more … Continue reading The Monuments Men in June 1945: The Evacuation of Siegen Completed

The Monuments Men in May 1945: Buxheim and Neuschwanstein

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park Schloss Neuschwanstein, two miles east of Fussen, a picturesque little town, some 80 miles south of Munich, in southern Schwabe, Bavaria, had been a central Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) repository for looted cultural property. A considerable bulk of this … Continue reading The Monuments Men in May 1945: Buxheim and Neuschwanstein

The Monuments Men in April 1945: Siegen, Finally

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives in College Park On March 31, 1945, the 12th Army Group reported that probably the most important repository in the area immediately ahead of the forces under its command was at or near Siegen, some fifty miles east of Cologne. It noted … Continue reading The Monuments Men in April 1945: Siegen, Finally

The Monuments Men in March 1945: Ronald Balfour and Walker Hancock

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher March 1945 would be a busy and eventful time for the Monuments Men officers, as the Allied armies advanced into Germany.  This was especially true for two of them: Ronald Balfour and Walker Hancock. During combat operations in February 1945, Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFA&A) officer, … Continue reading The Monuments Men in March 1945: Ronald Balfour and Walker Hancock

The Monuments Men During February 1945: Locating Repositories of Looted and German Cultural Property

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, archivist at the National Archives in College Park. At the end of January, Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley, head of the 12th Army Group, wrote the G-5s of his four Armies (First, Third, Ninth, and Fifteenth) regarding the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFA&A) Specialist Officers and their … Continue reading The Monuments Men During February 1945: Locating Repositories of Looted and German Cultural Property

The Monuments Men During January 1945

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park.  As December 1944 ended and January 1945 began, the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) was two weeks old and the Allied forces had stopped the German effort to cross the Meuse River and capture Antwerp. … Continue reading The Monuments Men During January 1945

The National Archives’ Arthur Evarts Kimberly and the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section’s Document Restoration Sub-Section, 1944-1945

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. The linguists with the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section (ATIS) of General Douglas MacArthur’s General Headquarters, Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) were responsible, at ATIS headquarters in Australia and, attached to units in the field, for translating captured documents … Continue reading The National Archives’ Arthur Evarts Kimberly and the Allied Translator and Interpreter Section’s Document Restoration Sub-Section, 1944-1945