What the Monuments Men Did for Society During the End of WWI - Research Paper Example

The group Monument Men was composed of approximately 345 men, and women picked from fourteen countries. Their primary goal was to serve in the Monument, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) section during and after the WWII. The groups existence was beneficial to the society in that it was mandated to track and recover stolen valuable artistry objects during the World War II. By working in the front battle line, these brave men and women sacrificed their safety to protect society heritage encapsulated in the work of art whereby some of their members were killed in their line of duty (Grant & George, 2014). It was their well-coordinated function of returning the stolen artworks which were of utmost importance. This group also went further to organize art exhibitions and music concerts to ease the pain inflicted by events of the war. Through their concerted efforts, the team facilitated the rebirth of culture in the affected countries that stretched across entire Europe. In the dying stages of the war, the Monuments Men had overseen the return of close to six million artefacts most of which had been stolen (Grant & George, 2014).

Discuss why the NAZI's felt it was essential to take the cultural treasures of the nations they occupied

During the World War II, the Nazis tended to confiscate and ship to Germany artworks of the countries they invaded. The motivation to carry these items of art was sourced from their leader. The leader, at a young stage, wanted to become an artist, a dream which did not actualize because he was denied an opportunity to enter an art college. The leader of the Nazi-ordered his soldier to seize all valuable artworks they came across while fighting their enemies in foreign countries (Grant & George, 2014). This could therefore keep his ambitions of becoming an artist alive. Additionally, Hitler went further to construct a vast museum where stolen artworks could be displayed. Lastly, the Nazi had an objective of destroying cultures of the nations they conquered through taking their national heritage. Resultantly, the future generations were robbed of knowledge and pride that came with these objects of value (Grant & George, 2014).

What the Monuments Men Foundation (external from the film) is currently doing to locate missing artwork.

Monuments Men Foundation deals with the conserving of artworks through the honoring the legacy of those who served in the MFAA program during and after the World War II (Angouri, Paraskevaidi & Wodak, 2017). The foundation in particular works to safeguard important creative and cultural treasures from being vandalized and stolen during any unprecedented armed revolution. Additionally, the organization is involved in finding the remaining missing artworks and returning them to their specific countries.

The foundation uses several methods to locate the missing artworks (Karlsgodt, 2016). One of the ways the organization is preserving these artistic gems is through offering creating awareness through training programs. In these training, the foundation teaches the societies on the missing artworks and thus creating awareness in the masses. The goal of this approach is to place a sense of necessity in the masses to report to the foundation in case they come across some of the missing artworks. Also, the organization is currently implementing on a plan to initiate a grant in conjunction with other cultural institutions to fund projects of students, archaeologists, and educators who are involved in search of the missing artworks (Karlsgodt, 2016).

References

Angouri, J., Paraskevaidi, M., & Wodak, R. (2017). Discourses of cultural heritage in times of crisis: The case of the Parthenon Marbles. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 21(2), 208-237.

Grant, H George, C (Producers), & George, C. (Director). (2014). The Monuments Men [Columbia Pictures]. New York City: Miramax.

Karlsgodt, E. C. (2016). Whats wrong with this picture: casual disregard for history in George Clooneys The Monuments Men (2014). Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 36(3), 392-414.