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And Then There Were Three:
The Passing of Monuments Man Rouben Sami

Robert M. Edsel

Feb 21, 2019

And Then There Were Three: The Passing of Monuments Man Rouben Sami

Certainly the greatest privilege of my work these past sixteen years has been meeting the Monuments Men and Women and the friendships that evolved with them and their families. In the fall of 2014, one of the Monuments Men Foundation researchers learned that Rouben Sami, who served as Deputy Director of the Offenbach Collecting Point, was alive and well. A week later, I was sitting in the kitchen of his South Florida home visiting with Rouben, his wife, Lena, and daughter, Re

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The Passing of a Great Man and Friend: Monuments Man Harry Ettlinger

Robert M. Edsel

Nov 7, 2018

The Passing of a Great Man and Friend: Monuments Man Harry Ettlinger

Today we mourn the passing of a great American and friend, Monuments Man Harry Ettlinger, who died yesterday after 92 remarkable years. In the course of my work honoring these heroes of civilization, I have known 21 Monuments Men and Women. I was closest to Harry Ettlinger. Harry embodied every great quality that defines a selfless and honorable American. He was an immigrant – the last Jewish boy to have a bar mitzvah in his hometown of Karlsruhe, Germany, just weeks before K

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Memorable weekend in Fort Meade with the 352nd Civil Affairs Command

Robert M. Edsel

May 17, 2016

Memorable weekend in Fort Meade with the 352nd Civil Affairs Command

I’ve had many memorable experiences during the past thirteen years researching and writing about the Monuments Men and women, but few compare to my trip to Fort Meade, Maryland, to spend time with the 352nd Civil Affairs Command on the occasion of their 50th anniversary. Civil Affair soldiers are doing remarkable work in conflict zones all over the world, in particular those with the 352nd, ranging from rescue missions like the one that followed the earthquake in Haiti, to pr

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The Islamic State’s Murder of a Modern Day Monuments Man

Robert M. Edsel

Aug 25, 2015

The Islamic State’s Murder of a Modern Day Monuments Man

Khaled al-Asaad, 83-year-old retired Syrian archaeologist known admiringly as “Mr. Palmyra” for his extraordinary knowledge of that revered 2,000 year-old Roman era city, has been killed. Jihadists of the Islamic State publicly beheaded al-Asaad, and then hung his body by his wrists from a traffic light positioning his head on the ground below. Attached to his waist was a sign listing his alleged crimes: attending “infidel conferences,” and acting as “the director of idolatry

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Monuments Man Lennox Tierney passes away at age 101

Robert M. Edsel

Jun 18, 2015

Monuments Man Lennox Tierney passes away at age 101

Monuments Man Lennox Tierney has died, age 101. Only five Monuments officers are still living. Of the twenty Monuments Men and women I have interviewed, only Tierney and Sherman Lee had served in the Pacific Theater, primarily in Japan. Fluent in Japanese, and a greater scholar of Asian art, Tierney was assigned to General MacArthur’s occupation headquarters as Commissioner of Arts and Monuments following the end of the war. In this role, he advised General MacArthur on all

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Support the restoration of the Canonica di Belforte!

Robert M. Edsel

Nov 13, 2014

Support the restoration of the Canonica di Belforte!

Dear Friends, Help me support the restoration of the Canonica di Belforte in Italy! We have only until the end of November to show our support. The Canonica di Belforte is in urgent need of restoration. If you’ve read my last book Saving Italy then you will remember the “Flying Priest” Don Guido Anelli. The Canonica di Belforte is the building in which Don Anelli used to meet and supervise the other partisan fighters, those brave Italian patriots who risked and lost their liv

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Robert M. Edsel

Nov 7, 2014

Monuments Man Horace Apgar 1923-2014

We are all saddened to learn that Monuments Man Horace Apgar has died. Our long held hope was to see him standing aside the other Monuments officers at Congress in 2015 to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. We have done everything in our power to not only obtain this richly earned recognition for the Monuments Men and women, but to see that the medal is created and presented as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen soon enough for Horace to receive. But

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“Rose Valland: Resistance at the Museum”

Robert M. Edsel

Jul 14, 2014

“Rose Valland: Resistance at the Museum”

Rose Valland is one of the greatest and yet unknown heroines of World War II. After risking her life spying on the Nazis, day after day for four long years, Rose lived to fulfill her destiny: locating and returning tens of thousands of works of art stolen by the Nazis during their occupation of France. Yet her remarkable story, like much of her personal life, has remained unknown to the broad public… until now. “This book, written by French Senator Corinne Bouchoux, was origi

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Robert M. Edsel

Aug 15, 2013

70th Anniversary of the Near Destruction of ‘The Last Supper’

Earlier this summer I sat down with my friend Nick Mueller, President and CEO of the National WWII Museum, and discussed measures taken to preserve works of art in Italy during the war, including the precautions that ultimately saved ‘The Last Supper’ in Milan from destruction during the August 15/16, 1943 raid. #SavingItaly #RobertEdsel #Interview #NickMueller #NationalWWIIMuseum #LastSupper

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Robert M. Edsel

Apr 15, 2013

Saving Italy!

Saving Italy will be published on May 6th but we are giving away signed copies of the book this week before you can buy it. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for your chance to win! #SavingItaly #RobertEdsel #books #signedcopies #MonumentsMen #giveaway

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Daniel Craig Joins George Clooney’s Monuments Men; Dujardin, Murray, and Blanchett Confirmed to Co-S

Robert M. Edsel

Nov 2, 2012

Daniel Craig Joins George Clooney’s Monuments Men; Dujardin, Murray, and Blanchett Confirmed to Co-S

George Clooney has lined up an incredible cast for his next film, Monuments Men. As we previously reported, the story centers on a group of art experts selected by the U.S. Government to chase down the stolen art of Europe during World War II. Aside from the terrific premise, Clooney, who co-wrote the film with partner Grant Heslov, will star alongside a cast that includes Daniel Craig, Jean Dujardin, Bill Murray, and Cate Blanchett. Dujardin, Murray, and Blanchett had previo

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Robert M. Edsel

Jun 6, 2006

When visiting Florence...

After living in Europe for almost five years, most of which was spent living in Florence, I have a long list of travel suggestions and tips that will enhance most anyone’s visit. In the coming months I will, from time to time, share with you some of my favorite experiences. I hope you enjoy them. As I frequent Florence most often to see my son, I want to begin with one of the great walks of the world, which, in no small irony, is down a street named after Leonardo da Vinci! I

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