Recovery of Looted Art in Berchtesgaden 1945

Description

Recovery of Looted Art in Berchtesgaden 1945; Photo; Licensed article; Original: 5740×4315; Photographer: Unknown;0 Licensed; Rights: 0 © Bleek/zb Media. The photo shows the recovery of looted art from Hermann Göring’s collection by the US Army and the Monuments Men in Berchtesgaden in June 1945.
US soldiers are carrying paintings, sculptures, and art objects to a truck to secure and transport them away.
Harry Anderson, an officer of the Monuments Men, responsible for protecting and repatriating stolen art, is also visible in the picture.
The paintings, altars, and sculptures were found in a freight train and more were discovered in a tunnel at the Untersberg, in the former Führer’s restricted area Obersalzberg.
The artworks originated from Hermann Göring’s private collection, who massively plundered works across Europe. The recovery was part of the repatriation of stolen cultural property after World War II. From Berchtesgaden, they were brought to the Central Collecting Point in Munich.
The photo documents the rescue of significant artworks stolen by the Nazis and the role of the Monuments Men in preserving European cultural heritage.