Recovery of looted art in Berchtesgaden 1945. 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.
Harry Anderson, an officer of the Monuments Men responsible for the protection and restitution of stolen art, is also visible in the picture.
The pictures, altars, and sculptures had been found in a freight train and more in a tunnel at the Untersberg, in the former Führer restricted area Obersalzberg.
The artworks originate from Hermann Göring’s private collection, who had plundered numerous works across Europe. The recovery was part of the restitution of stolen cultural assets after the Second World War. From Berchtesgaden, they were brought to the Central Collecting Point in Munich.
The photo documents the rescue of significant artworks looted by the Nazis and the role of the Monuments Men in preserving European cultural heritage.