20 priceless historical works of art saved by the Monuments Men

This monumental masterpiece, composed of several panels, is often considered the most stolen work of art in history, and it represented the ultimate goal for the Monuments Men. They found it hidden deep within the Altaussee salt mine in Austria, where it had been stored alongside thousands of other looted treasures. It is a miracle that this work survived the damp conditions, but thanks to their swift intervention, we can still admire its incredible details today in Belgium.

The only sculpture by Michelangelo to have left Italy during his lifetime was stolen by the Nazis from a church in Belgium and hurriedly transported away in a Red Cross truck. It was stolen from a Belgian church and smuggled out in a Red Cross vehicle. The Monuments Men eventually discovered the sculpture, leaning against a wall of crates in a mine plunged into total darkness.

This painting was one of Adolf Hitler’s favorites and was intended to be the centerpiece of the “Führermuseum” he planned to build in Linz. When the Monuments Men discovered it, they noticed a small “R” stamped on the back, referring to the Rothschild family from whom it had been stolen. It is one of some thirty-six known works by Vermeer, making its recovery a tremendous victory for the world of art history.

Measuring nearly 30 meters wide when unfolded, this altarpiece was dismantled and transported in pieces from Poland to Germany at the start of the war. Fortunately, members of the Monuments Men discovered these imposing wood carvings piled up in the basement of a castle in Nuremberg. Thanks to this unlikely hiding place, the hundreds of incredibly detailed figures were spared from Allied bombing raids.

Even though it wasn’t found in a salt mine, the world’s most famous face was at the center of a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek orchestrated by the Monuments Men and French curators. It was moved six times during the war, often traveling in an ambulance or a simple truck to stay one step ahead of the occupying forces. It is thanks to these courageous individuals that it remains safe to this day behind its display case at the Louvre.

So large that it had to be rolled up like a scroll, this Rembrandt painting was carried away in the dead of night by the Monuments Men and Dutch art experts. They moved the work to a bunker hidden in the dunes along the Dutch coast, just in time. This iconic painting nearly did not survive, given its size and fragility.

This is one of the most tragic stories from the Monuments Men’s files because, unlike many others on this list, this artwork was never recovered. It was stolen from a Polish museum and was last seen in the hands of a high-ranking official, before disappearing without a trace into the fog of war. Although this artwork could not be saved, the documentation regarding its theft remains the primary evidence used by those who are still searching for it today.

Also known as the “Crown of Saint Stephen,” it is not a painting, but a priceless royal relic that was entrusted to the Americans for safekeeping. The Monuments Men realized that if the Soviet army got its hands on it, the Hungarian people might never see it again. It was kept safe in the United States, at Fort Knox, for decades before finally being returned to Budapest.

This delicate charcoal drawing depicting the Virgin and Child had been moved to the basements of the National Gallery in London to protect it from bombing. The Monuments Men helped coordinate the protection of these fragile works on paper, which could have been destroyed by a single spark or a drop of water. Even today, we can still admire its ghostly and magnificent lines.

When the U.S. Army discovered the Merkers salt mine, they were astonished to find hundreds of paintings from Berlin museums hidden among piles of gold bars. This Impressionist work was among the spoils, and General Eisenhower even took the time to examine the treasures that had been discovered. It is a surreal image.

The Monuments Men crisscrossed Italy at breakneck speed as tanks and soldiers swept through the countryside. During one of their first rescue operations of the war, officials secured the Uffizi Gallery and its most famous paintings. After being found hidden in a villa somewhere in the Tuscan countryside, “The Birth of Venus” was returned to its usual exhibition space.

This self-portrait was one of many works of art recovered from the Altaussee salt mines just before the tunnels were about to be blown up. The Nazis had planned to destroy the mine and everything inside it, but the Monuments Men worked with local miners to prevent the explosion. Thankfully, they did, because seeing the master’s weathered face with one’s own eyes is an experience of captivating beauty.

Just like Michelangelo’s masterpiece, which was stolen around the same time, this painting was rescued from oblivion in the Altaussee salt mine. This work by Vermeer is considered one of his most complex and fascinating paintings. It depicts an artist sitting in his studio, absorbed in his work.

This brightly colored Renaissance panel was salvaged from a collection of looted artifacts that were being processed at the Munich collection center. The Monuments Men had set up these centers to catalog the millions of artifacts they had recovered, with the aim of returning them to their original owners.

This drawing is often associated with efforts to save the private collections of noble families that had been targeted by the ERR, a special Nazi unit tasked with looting. The Monuments Men worked tirelessly to recover these personal treasures, which had been scattered among various castles throughout Germany. Thanks to their meticulous inventory work, many of these intimate portraits were eventually reunited.

This magnificent portrait was taken from Poland and kept in the private office of a high-ranking Nazi official who apparently wished to enjoy it in private. The Monuments Men recovered it from a villa in Bavaria and ensured that it was among the first works returned to the Polish people after the war. Today, it remains a symbol of national pride.

Measuring nearly 70 meters long, this iconic embroidered tapestry was fortunate enough to remain in France during the war. The “Monuments Men” kept it under close watch as they watched trucks filled with works of art leave museums in droves. Working with the French Resistance, they monitored the movements of the artworks and rushed to save them at the last minute.

It may be hard to imagine that stained-glass windows could be “saved,” but the Monuments Men helped coordinate the removal and safekeeping of these world-famous blue stained-glass windows before the bombings began. They carefully packed the medieval panels and hid them in crypts and cellars in the countryside to protect them from the vibrations caused by nearby explosions. That is why visitors can still stand in the cathedral today and see light filtering through the same colors that were visible in the 12th century.

Technically, you can’t move a wall, but the Monuments Men saved this masterpiece by building a massive protective cage around it made of sandbags and steel scaffolding. When a bomb struck the building and leveled most of the room, the wall on which the painting hung was the only thing still standing. This is undoubtedly the most striking example of how their engineering skills were just as important as their knowledge of art history.

While paintings generally take center stage, the Monuments Men also saved millions of rare books and manuscripts that had been stolen from Jewish families and libraries. These crates were found stacked in damp basements and dusty warehouses, often in very poor condition and in need of immediate care. By saving these texts, the intellectual history and personal stories of thousands of people were preserved.