Destruction of Greek/Roman art in WWII?
Karkarodon
and/or Roman art/artifacts/whatnot by the Germans during World War II. Do you
happen to know of any good books on the subject?
Thanks for your time.
Joseph Naftali
Karka...@aol.com
Donald Phillipson
> I am looking to find any good books on the destruction/relocation of Greek
> and/or Roman art/artifacts/whatnot by the Germans during World War II. Do you
> happen to know of any good books on the subject?
This looks like a non-starter.
1. Nazi aesthetics valued Greco-Roman art highly.
2. The greatest concentration of surviving Greco-Roman art
was around the Mediterranean, nominally Italy's "Mare Nostrum."
There would have been no advantage in German vandalism against
the wishes of its Italian ally, which sought to preserve
Greco-Roman remains (cf. downtown Rome, Forum, Pantheon,
Colosseum etc.)
--
| Donald Phillipson, 4180 Boundary Road, Carlsbad Springs, |
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James Erickson
> I am looking to find any good books on the destruction/relocation of Greek
> and/or Roman art/artifacts/whatnot by the Germans during World War II. Do you
> happen to know of any good books on the subject?
On their retreat North, the Germans blew up a large number of bridges
including a number of beautiful spans that dated from the Roman era.
The famous Ponte Vecchio (sp?) in Florence (dating from the middle ages)
was one of the few of the beautiful and historic bridges in the region
that survived intact.
After the war many were rebuilt, often using the original rubble. I was
in Verona and the surrounding area last summer. It was easy to see the
evidence of the rebuilding, but they did do a fine job considering the
damage.
Jim Erickson
George Hardy
>
> I am looking to find any good books on the destruction/relocation
>of Greek and/or Roman art/artifacts/whatnot by the Germans during
>World War II.
Why just the Germans? You think that the Allies didn't do their
share? Actually, both sides made an effort to protect art treasures.
"Beautiful Loot" (Akinsha and Kozlov) tells of a lot of the art
which fell into Russians hands. The Pergamon Altar was a good
example. You will discover much art was destroyed by the Allied
looters. Whole storage rooms of Roman and Greek statuary were
baked (more or less deliberately) into quick lime by the Allies.
To give the Americans their credit, read "The Spoils of World War
II" (Alford).
Major art collections were assembled or considerably enhanced
during the late 40s. I'll not give examples, as too many people
are attempting to roll back history.
GFH
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Stefano Pasini
art they were in charge of, dismantling a lot of them to hide statuaries,
etc, in underground sites. They cannot be blamed, if not marginally, for the
damage to the works of art during WWII.
The destruction of works of art, monuments, etc by the Allied was far more
relevant, and I would like to point out that, in Italy, the real damage to
our masterworks was done by US bombers after the 8th September armistice
(when Italy, was, after all, an ally, even if a suspect one). In my town,
Bologna, the splendid building where the oldest University in the world was
founded, nine centuries ago, was mercilessly bombed and reduced to rubble by
US bombers with no apparent reason. It's miles away from the railway
station, the only significant strategical objective here in 1944-45. US
Fighter-bombers allegedly tried to destroy the tall Asinelli tower, a symbol
of the city, several times; and for an example of ruthless, senseless
destruction, nobody can beat the bombing of the splendid Monte Cassino abbey
in Southern Italy.
Many hundred more towers, statues, paintings, books and temples suffered the
same fate in Italy and all around Europe, and the old men on the Appennines
still remember the Allied troops' looting, especially when the North
Africans arrived...
The Germans, in Italy, didn't bomb monuments. And, even if there were
criminals amongst them, I still do not think that they would have handed the
Cossacks to Stalin after the end of the war, like the British did.
Stefano Pasini
George Hardy ha scritto nel messaggio
<3.0.16.19990129...@mail.rlc.net>...
TSBench
In article <78vf5q$1imk$1...@nntp6.u.washington.edu>, "Stefano Pasini"
<ste...@tin.it> writes:
>and for an example of ruthless, senseless
>destruction, nobody can beat the bombing of the splendid Monte Cassino abbey
>in Southern Italy.>>>>]
It also serves as an example of counterproductive action. Bombing the town and
Abbey actually exacerbated the combat problem for the Allies and simplified it
for the Germans.
Regards,
TSB
Bill Walker...Producer and Cohost of The Shooting Bench radio
program....General Manager, WDIS-Radio, Norfolk, Massachusetts.
Nate Gordon
>The Germans, in Italy, didn't bomb monuments.
OK
>And, even if there were
>criminals amongst them, I still do not think that they would have handed the
>Cossacks to Stalin after the end of the war, like the British did.
>
Nah, they would just round up all the Jews, Slavs, and Gypsies they
could find, and send them off to death camps.
Nate Gordon
cd00...@mindspring.com
"The sea was angry that day, my friends, like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli."
Joseph Askew
>In article <78vf5q$1imk$1...@nntp6.u.washington.edu>, "Stefano Pasini"
><ste...@tin.it> writes:
>>and for an example of ruthless, senseless
>>destruction, nobody can beat the bombing of the splendid Monte Cassino abbey
>>in Southern Italy.>>>>]
I can. Several Roman ships were found on the bottom of a lake in central
Italy dating from Nero's reign I think. They were displayed in a museum
not far from Rome when in 1944 retreating Germans burnt them. As it turned
out bombing the Abby wasn't particularly useful nor a particularly valid
military target, but it was far more so than those boats.
>It also serves as an example of counterproductive action. Bombing the town and
>Abbey actually exacerbated the combat problem for the Allies and simplified it
>for the Germans.
Indeed. Although the paratroops who were in it prior to the New Zealand
attack got creamed. They still fought well, but they lost heavily.
Joseph
--
Ignoring farrago of irrelevancies from the reflexive opposition...8-).
-- S.M. Stirling
Karkarodon
>>destruction, nobody can beat the bombing of the splendid Monte Cassino abbey
>>in Southern Italy.>>>>]
I can. Several Roman ships were found on the bottom of a lake in central
Italy dating from Nero's reign I think. They were displayed in a museum
not far from Rome when in 1944 retreating Germans burnt them. As it turned
out bombing the Abby wasn't particularly useful nor a particularly valid
military target, but it was far more so than those boats.
>>
Might I ask where you found this reference? This is the sort of thing I would
like to concentrate on. My research is, unfortunately, limited to just
greek/roman/antiquity artwork, bridges, ships, etc. that were destroyed in
WWII, but all parties, not just the Germans.
Any information any of you could provide would be appreciated.
Joseph Naftali
Classics Major at New York University