Civilian Agency Records RG 239

State Department and Foreign Affairs Records

Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission), 1943–1946 (RG 239)

The American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, also known as the Roberts Commission, was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 23, 1943, when he appointed Associate Justice Owen J. Roberts to chair the Commission. The Commission cooperated with the U.S. Army in protecting cultural treasures and gathered information about war damage to such treasurers, and compiled data on cultural property appropriated by the Axis Powers and encouraged is restitution. It was abolished on June 30, 1946 [Note 14]. Researchers interested in matters relating to art/cultural restitution matters will find many useful documents in this Record Group.

In 1942, various civilian groups began to make plans to protect Europe’s cultural monuments when the areas in which they were located should subject to Allied occupation. that fall, the President of the Archaeological Institute of America, the President of the College Art Association, and the Directors of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and Washington’s National Gallery of Art approached Harlan F. Stone, Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, with a proposal to establish a government commission to protect and salvage European artistic and historical monuments. These individuals also contacted the Chief of the War Department’s Civil Affairs Division, as well as the Army Air Intelligence Service, to enlist their support.

On December 8, 1942, Chief Justice Stone wrote President Roosevelt to ask his support for a plan to establish a government body that would protect and conserve artworks, historic monuments, and important papers in Europe, as well as making restitution of such works to their lawful owners. Stone also suggested that the British and Soviet governments be requested to consider the establishment of similar bodies. Roosevelt wrote Stone on December 28 th that he had referred the proposal to the appropriate agencies for study. In a second letter, dated April 23, 1943, Roosevelt informed Stone that the proposal had won the support of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and approaches were being made to the British and Soviet governments.

On June 21, 1943, Secretary of State Cordell Hull wrote to the President, reporting that a special section had been set up in the School of Military Government to train certain officer-specialist who could be assigned to army staffs to advise commanding officers regarding cultural monuments and historic artworks in war zones. Hell also suggested the appointment of “The American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in Europe” to advise and work with the School of Military Government, and included a list of prospective members. During the war, the Commission was to work with the Army to protect works of cultural value in Allied-occupied areas, and to compile lists of property appropriated by the Axis powers. After the war, the Commission was to urge that restitution in kind be made by the Axis powers for such works as might have been destroyed, to compile a list of equivalent works in Axis countries that could be used as compensation, and to urge that property appropriated by Axis powers be returned. The Commission would be quartered in the National Gallery of Art in order to facilitate contact with the Departments of War and State. Roosevelt approved the creation of the Commission on June 23, 1943.

On August 20, 1943, the Department of State announced the establishment of the Commission, with Owen J. Roberts, a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, as chairman; David E. Finley, Director of the National Gallery of Art and a member of the Commission of Fine Arts, as vice-chairman; and Huntington Cairns, Secretary-Treasurer of the National Gallery, as secretary-treasurer. The other original members of the Commission were Herbert H. Lehman, Director of the Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation Operations, which became the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA); Archibald MacLeish, Librarian of Congress; William Bell Dinsmoor, President of the Archaeological Institute of America; Dr. Francis Henry Taylor, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and President of the Association of Art Museum Directors; Dr. Paul J. Sachs, Associate Director of Harvard University's Fogg Museum of Fine Arts; and the Honorable Alfred E. Smith of New York. Smith was succeeded upon his death by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Francis J. Spellman of New York. MacLeish resigned from the Commission upon his appointment as Assistant Secretary of State in January 1945.

As a result of Navy Department requests that the Commission prepare maps and lists of areas in the Far East containing cultural and historic monuments, the Commission officially changed its name to “The American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas.”

Special advisers and many volunteers assisted the Commission from the beginning. John Walker, chief Curator of the National gallery of Art, was named Special Adviser to the Commission upon its creation. Dr. Sumner McK. Crosby of Yale University served in that capacity from September 1944. Horace H.F. Jayne of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was appointed Special Adviser on matters concerning the Far East in April 1945. Rensselaer W. Smith of Smith College and the Institute for Advance Study, Princeton, New Jersey, was appointed Consultant of the Commission in May 1945, and worked with it in Washington until July of that year. John A Gilmore served as the Commission’s Administrative Officer and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer from September 1943 to June 1945; Charles H. Sawyer from July to December 1945; Charles Seymour, Jr., from December 1945 to February 1946; and Lamont Moore from February to June 1946.

During the war, the Commission was instrumental in the establishment by the War Department of a Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program to protect cultural materials in war areas, under the Civil Affairs Division. It recommended to the War Department men already in the armed forces who had the training and experience to carry out the formulated plans. Working through the American Defense-Harvard Group [Note 15] and the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas of the American Council of Learned Societies [Note 16] (two independent civilian groups established before its creation), the Commission supplied the armed forces with over 700 maps of the important cultural centers and regions of Allied and enemy countries, both in Europe and the Far East, on which artistic and historic monuments and cultural deposits had been located and described in accompanying lists. The Commission also prepared and distributed lists and handbooks to Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers in the field to aid them in preparing official lists of sites and monuments to be protected. Commission members gave lectures on the care and preservation of artworks, monuments, and records for Civil Affairs officers during the early days of Military Government schools. The Commission’s staff correlated all reports from Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives officers and made the information derived from them available to government agencies, scholars, and students. The Commission also gathered information on available qualified civilian personnel to replace military personnel when Military Governments was transferred to civilian hands.

The American Commission cooperated with Commissions established in the Allied countries for analogous purposes and with the Department of State in considering problems relating to the restitution of cultural materials. It was instrumental in effecting the restitution of identifiable looted public artworks found in the American Zone in Germany to the owner governments. The Commission cooperated in the formation of a special unit within the Office of Strategic Services specifically concerned with the investigation of enemy personnel suspected of participating in art looting activities. The Commission cooperated with several other federal agencies in investigating German assets abroad, insofar as these assets involved cultural materials, and enemy art looting activities in Europe and their relationship to enemy activities in the Western Hemisphere. the Commission recommended to the Treasury Department the establishment of a system of customs controls to prevent looted art from being imported into the United States, and examined the special licenses required for the importation of cultural material.

In April 1944, the Inter-Allied Commission for the Protection and Restitution of Cultural Material (Vaucher Commission) was established under the chairmanship of Prof. Paul Vaucher as a subcommission of the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education. Composed of representatives of the varied Allied governments, the Vaucher Commission had as its purpose the study of problems relating to protection, restitution, and reparations and the collection and organization of information relating to looting for the eventual use of SHAEF and particularly of its Civil Affairs Section. This was the agency with the Commission’s representatives abroad were at first chiefly concerned. The secretariat of the Vaucher Commission functioned as a central bureau for information on looted objects supplied by the different national commissions and issued lists of looted objects for the use of Monuments officers until its dissolution in November 1945.

The British Committee on Preservation and Restitution of Works of Art, Archives, and Other Material in Enemy Hands, generally known as the McMillan Committee after its chairman, Lord McMillan, was established in May 1944, as a counterpart to the American Commission. It differed from the latter chiefly in that its terms of reference limited its interest primarily to problems of restitution and reparation, leaving the question of protection solely to the military authorities. French, Belgian, and Dutch Commissions were formed in the wake of their countries liberation from German occupation.

The final meeting of the American Commission was held on June 20, 1946, in the Morris Building in Philadelphia. The Commission’s activities were brought to a close by providing for continuation of its work by the offices for Germany-Austria and for Japan-Korea of the Occupied Areas Division (ADO) of the Office of International and Cultural Affairs (OIC) of the Department of State.

GOVERNMENT PRINTED SOURCES

American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas. Report of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.

Foreign Relations of the United States [a publication of the State Department that serves as a key finding aid because the documents selected for printing include the source file designation].

FRUS, 1944, Vol. II, pp. 1031–1068 “Interest of the United States in measures for the protection and salvage of artistic and historic monuments in war areas.”

FRUS, 1945, Vol. II, pp. 933–957 “Interest of the United States in measures for the protection and salvage of artistic and historic monuments in war areas.”

RECORDS

GENERAL RECORDS OF THE ROBERTS COMMISSION, 1942–1946 [M1944, Rolls 1–55]

Administrative Records, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 1) [M1944, Rolls 1–2]

Unarranged.

This series consists of correspondence, pay cards, budget reports, statements of balances, summaries of allotment ledgers, purchase orders, reports on the status of appropriations, time and attendance records, oaths of office, personnel action reports, job descriptions, and personnel folders.

Budget Records, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 2) [M1944, Rolls 2–4]

Arranged in roughly descending chronological order by year.

This series consists of budget estimates, budgets for the years 1944–1946, records of expenditures, budget circulars, copies of Public Law 375 (having to do with appropriations for 1944 and 1945), and supporting documents for appropriations requests.

Certifying Officers’ Bonds, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 3) [M1944, Roll 4]

Unarranged.

This series consists of bonds, which the U.S. Government requires for officials authorized to disburse government monies, for E. Roy Bergholz, Huntington Cairns, and John A. Gilmore, together with papers authorizing the issuance of the bonds and certifying the function of the individuals in question.

Correspondence Relating to Personnel, 1945–1946 (A1, Entry 4) [M1944, Rolls 4–5]

Arranged by subject (e.g., personnel available, personnel requests).

This series consists of letters requesting employment and information from the Commission, curricula vitae, notes on personnel available and not available, and requests for additional personnel. Included are personnel lists, as well as Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) organization charts.

Minutes of Meetings, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 5) [M1944, Rolls 5–6]

Arranged chronologically.

This series consists of copies of the minutes and verbatim transcripts of meetings held by the Commission and related reports, memoranda, and notices. The minutes contain recommendations for the selection of Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers; the definition of looted art objects; postwar restitution problems; and cooperation and exchange of information with the British Committee for the Preservation and Restitution of Works of Art, Archives, and Other Material in Enemy Hands (the Macmillan Committee) and the Inter-Allied Commission for the Protection and Restitution of Cultural Material (the Vaucher Commission).

Reports, 1944–1946 (A1, Entry 6) [M1944, Rolls 6–9]

Arranged in loose alphabetical order by subject (e.g., Liaison, Looting, OSS).

This series consists of reports, correspondence, mail intercepts, notes, telegrams, and photographs. Included are reports on Commission staff visits to Europe; material on art looting and restitution; and lists of German archives, library, and university personnel.

Correspondence, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 7) [M1944, Rolls 10–18]

Arranged alphabetically by name or subject.

This series consists of the Roberts Commission correspondence with Commission members and personnel, with other Government and Allied agencies and departments, and with private individuals. Subjects of interest include art looting activities in Europe and Russia’s intentions with respect to the exaction of reparations for war damages to cultural objects. The correspondence may include copies of records from other series such as Office of Strategic Services (OSS) reports.

General Correspondence, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 8) [M1944, Rolls 18–19]

Unarranged.

This series consists of the correspondence of the Roberts Commission staff regarding personnel, status and protection of monuments and cultural institutions in Europe, artwork suspected to have been looted, and requests for copies of the Commission’s final report.

Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1942–1945 (A1, Entry 9) [M1944, Rolls 19–20]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists primarily of correspondence with applicants for Commission staff or Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) positions, some of which is contained in the miscellaneous correspondence. The miscellaneous correspondence also includes inquiries regarding the current status of private collections, artworks and monuments, in addition to the use of the Roberts Commission files for research and commission business.

Also included are two artifacts of salaries and expenses rubber hand stamps for the years 1945 and 1946.

General Records, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 10) [M1944, Rolls 21–24]

Unarranged.

This series consists of reports, memoranda, copies of correspondence and cables, as well as summaries of the situation in various countries and regions. These materials cover subjects such German-Swedish economic relations, enemy looting, and war damage.

Handbooks on Cultural Institutions of European Countries, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 11) [M1944, Rolls 25–31]

Arranged alphabetically by country or region.

This series consists of handbooks listing museums, monuments, libraries, archives, and other cultural institutions. Included are drafts, abstracts from reference works, and notes used in the preparation of the handbooks. General folders at the beginning of the series contain copies of weekly information bulletins published by the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S) (OMGUS) in 1946, correspondence, wartime broadcast transcripts, reports, articles, and handwritten notes of some of the index cards that make up the Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 83).

See also A1, Entries 24, 79, and 80 for more information concerning the handbooks and A1, Entries 82, 82A, and 92 for additional information about the geographical working files.

London Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 12) [M1944, Rolls 32–3]

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

This series consists of cables, correspondence, memoranda, and reports received by the Commission through the American Embassy in London. The subjects include British Element, Control Council (Bunjes Papers, etc.); cables; Commission official communications; Sumner McK.Crosby correspondence; Economic Warfare Division, American Embassy; German personnel lists; German repositories of works of art; Macmillan Committee; MFA&A (Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives) military directives; MFA&A planning documents; Mull correspondence; OWI (Office of War Information); restitution background material; restitution in London EAC discussions, etc.; John Scarff and John Walker correspondence; U.S. Group CC (Control Council); and war damage. The correspondence reflects communication with the London office of a government agency or an Allied committee; in other cases they represent correspondence with or reports by Commission personnel in London.

Reports from Advisors Overseas, 1944–1945 (A1, Entry 13) [M1944, Rolls 33–34]

Arranged roughly in chronological order.

This series consists of reports submitted to the Commission by advisers and Commission personnel who were or had been on assignment in Europe. There are reports from Sumner McK. Crosby, Jane A. Mull, John H. Scarff, and John Walker, as well as communications from Col. Henry C. Newton and Maj. Mason Hammond. The reports relate the activities of Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers and of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Art Looting Investigation Unit, and evaluate the work done in protecting and restoring cultural material in war areas.

Records Relating to Restitution of Cultural Materials, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 14) [M1944, Rolls 35–38][

Unarranged.

This series consists of various proposals and reports on matters relating to the restitution of cultural materials looted by Germany; correspondence between the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) personnel and Commission members, as well as OSS reports on problems connected with restitution of looted cultural materials; and miscellaneous correspondence, reports, and memoranda on various aspects of the restitution of cultural materials.

Galleys and Page Proofs, 1946 [Note 19] (A1, Entry 15) [M1944, Rolls 38–39]

Unarranged.

This series consists of proofs and printing corrections for the final published report of the Commission entitled “Report of The American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas.”

Press Releases, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 16) [M1944, Roll 39]

Arranged alphabetically by country.

This series consists of press releases and a few periodical publications regarding the status of artworks and cultural institutions in European and Asian countries. Includes drafts of a list of monuments for France regarding that country’s art, archaeology and monuments. Also see A1, Entries 79 and 80 for additional information.

Newspaper Clippings, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 17) [M1944, Rolls 39–40]

Arranged chronologically.

This series consists of excerpts from newspapers concerning cultural treasures in enemy-held or Allied-occupied areas as well as other war news.

Miscellaneous Press Clippings, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 18) [M1944, Roll 40]

Unarranged.

This series consists of a propaganda manual citing references for German admissions of war-guilt; clippings from American newspapers (provided by the Romeike clipping service) on Commission activities; and clippings on damaged European cultural monuments and on Monument, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) activities.

Published Works Relating to Cultural Materials in War Areas, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 19) [M1944, Rolls 40–41]

Arranged alphabetically by title of article or book.

This series consists of articles, notes, reports, and publications devoted to the protection and restoration of cultural materials, particularly artworks and historic buildings, in European war areas. Many of these mention the Commission and the work of Monument, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers.

Questionnaires, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 20) [M1944, Roll 41]

Unarranged.

This series consists of forms from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) filled out by scholars indicating knowledge of cultural materials in various overseas areas, travels to these areas, and fields of expertise. These scholars were potential sources of information for the ACLS in the preparation of maps and handbooks.

See also A1, Entry 77.

List of Repositories of Works of Art and Archives in Germany and Austria, 1945 (A1, Entry 21) [M1944, Roll 41]

Arranged by region, thereunder alphabetically by town or city.

This series consists of a list of the names of towns and cities, each accompanied by an identifying code number, and a description of the cultural material known to be deposited there. The regions include Tyrol and Czecho-Slovakia.

List of Carillons in Europe in 1939, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 22) [M1944, Roll 41]

Unarranged.

This series consists of a list of carillons on the continent of Europe in 1939 as prepared by Percival Price. Information contained in this list includes the location of the carillons such as the country, city, and building; details about the carillons such as the number of bells, weight, and founder; references to the carillons in photographs, correspondence, and printed matter; and remarks about the carillons as well as a bibliography. Also included is a map of Belgium and two maps of the Netherlands showing the locations of carillons in those countries.

Miscellaneous Records, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 23) [M1944, Rolls 41–42]

Unarranged.

This series consists of reports, drafts, copies of published parliamentary debates, pamphlets, correspondence, and background data on the protection of artworks and monuments in war areas. Included is information obtained from prisoners of war and pertains to the cooperation between the Commission and the War Crimes Branch of the Army Judge Advocate General’s Office. There is also material on the Commission’s involvement with the Safehaven Project which was an Allied effort to frustrate enemy transfers of economic assets to neutral countries. Other records include an Allied Military Government (AMG) report on its Cultural Works Committee, drafts of an Office of War Information (OWI) booklet on art and culture prepared for Allied soldiers, and a list of paintings belonging to Dutch art dealer J. Goudstikker.

Miscellaneous Geographical Records, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 24) [M1944, Roll 42]

Arranged alphabetically by country.

This series consists of lists of churches, cultural institutions, monuments, palaces, and houses with accompanying regional and city maps showing their locations, as well as personnel. Contained in some files are accounts of looting or wartime devastation. Italy material includes architectural drawings of the Santa Trinità bridge in Florence.

See also A1, Entries 11, 79, and 80.

Personnel Cards, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 25) [M1944, Roll 43]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file that includes the names, addresses, present activities, professions, and political affiliations of various specialists that advised members of the Roberts Commission about cultural materials and the whereabouts of looted materials; the names of those who looted, plundered, and destroyed cultural and scientific materials in German-occupied countries; those who worked to historically “prove” German origins and/or influence in other cultures and countries (Germanization); and those who aided the Germans in locating Jewish collections.

Card File on Art-Looting Suspects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 26) [M1944, Rolls 44–49]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information regarding art-looting suspects and those who aided them: name, address, date of birth or age, occupation, and summary of activities. Included in this series are cards for government and private organizations and private businesses which looted, confiscated, transported, sold, or stored collections. Also included are the names of private collections and businesses which were looted or seized and, in some cases, information on the suspected looters. Finally, there are cards containing the names of individuals supplying information on art-looting suspects and at least one organization, Artists Executive (Bildendo Kunstneres Styre), which attempted to prevent the auctioning of confiscated artwork.

Geographical Card File on Possible Art-Looting Subjects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 27) [M1944, Rolls 50–51]

Arranged alphabetically by geographical region or country and thereunder alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, date of birth, education, occupation, summary or direct quotation regarding activities, and sources. Organizations and cultural institutions are also included and are inter-filed with the other cards.

Card File on Looted Art Objects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 28) [M1944, Roll 51]

Arranged alphabetically by artist’s name.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain the artist’s name and the title and/or description of the artwork. Included is information on the removal and disposition of the artwork and, in some instances, sources for this information.

Card File on Repositories, Collections, and Collectors Suspected of Receiving or Storing Looted Art Objects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 29) [M1944, Roll 51]

Arranged alphabetically by name, owner, or location of repository (country or city).

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: repositories where collections were deposited, repositories or cities from which collections were removed, address or location of repositories, brief description of art objects, and dates regarding the movement of collections. At the end of the series are two cards labeled “Personnel”, one of which lists museum officials with knowledge of the removal of their museum’s collections.

Card File on Prisoners of War Suspected of Art Looting, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 30) [M1944, Roll 51]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, occupation or military assignment, and brief account of activities regarding art objects.

Card File on Deceased Art-Looting Suspects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 31) [M1944, Roll 52]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, occupation, and synopsis of activities in the art world.

Guide to Goering Papers, 1945 (A1, Entry 32) [M1944, Roll 52]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file that serves as a reference guide to art objects in the Göring Papers, Nos. 1–475. These references include lists of artworks Göring purchased, exchanged, or wished to acquire. Also included are references to communications Göring had with Haberstock, Hofer, Kornatzki, Limberger, Muehlmann, Pannwitz, Zantop, and others, regarding these artworks.

Card File of European Specialists in Fine Arts, Books, and Manuscripts, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 33) [M1944, Roll 52]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, date of birth, education, occupation, employer, information on political and/or ideological views, and wartime activities.

Card File on Art-Looting Suspects in France and Germany, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 34) [M1944, Rolls 52–54]

Arranged by country (France and Germany) and thereunder alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, education, wartime employment or activities, employer, photograph, and sources. Included in this card file are repositories and organizations such as Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) and Kunstschutz.

Card File on European Artists and Art Specialists, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 35) [M1944, Roll 54]

Arranged by nationality and thereunder alphabetically by name.

This series consists of card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, education, wartime employment or activities, employer, and sources.

Card File on Firms Involved in Art Looting, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 36) [M1944, Roll 54]

Arranged alphabetically by name of firm.

This series consists of card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: owner, address, brief history, wartime activities, and sources.

Card File on Looted Cultural Materials, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 37) [M1944, Rolls 54]

Arranged alphabetically by category such as archives, objets d’art, paintings, repositories, scientific material, and sculpture.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: description and/or photograph, facts regarding removal of object, and sources. Books and manuscripts are includes under the archives category.

Card File on Historic Buildings and Structures, 1944–1945 (A1, Entry 38) [M1944, Roll 54]

Arranged by country and thereunder alphabetically by city or town.

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name of city or town, owner, notes on contents, condition, history of military occupation, and sources. The countries represented are Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Card File on Links with Neutral Countries, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 39) [M1944, Rolls 54–55]

Arranged alphabetically by name of individual, name of firm, or name of institution.

This series consists of a card file in which each card contains the name of an individual, firm, or institution and a cross-reference. Many of the cross-references appear to refer to cards contained in Card File On Art-Looting Suspects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 26), Geographical Card File on Possible Art-Looting Subjects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 27), Card File on Prisoners of War Suspected of Art Looting, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 30), and Card File on Art-Looting Suspects in France and Germany, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 34). Other cross-references are to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Allied Military Government (AMG) reports. Included at the beginning of file are American liaisons for departments such as G-2, G-5, Naval Censorship, and Office of Strategic Services.

Code Identification File, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 40) [M1944, Roll 55]

Arranged by an alphabetical or alphanumeric code designation (JRX, JZX, LSX, RX, X, XL, XX, XX-001, XX1) and thereunder numerically. Four cards are arranged numerically (132234–134935).

This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: alphabetical, alphanumeric, or numeric code designator; how and date the material arrived such as “London Pouch XX 005-622 – 22 June 1945”; file where material may be found; and disposal of the material.

Miscellaneous Personnel Cards, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 41) [M1944, Roll 55]

Arranged in two parts. The first part is arranged alphabetically (G–K only) and second part is arranged by date of incoming and outgoing messages.

This series consists of a card file that is divided into two parts. The first part contains some or all of the following information: name, address, category to which the name belongs (e.g., individual, collection, or repository, in addition to the country), and cross-references. Many of the names may also be found in Card File On Art-Looting Suspects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 26), Geographical Card File on Possible Art-Looting Subjects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 27), Card File on Prisoners of War Suspected of Art Looting, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 30), and Card File on Art-Looting Suspects in France and Germany, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 34).

The second part of the card file includes sender and recipient by name or code name, date, and a brief message. The messages were received and sent by Monument, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers in the field.

RECORDS OF THE ROBERTS COMMISSION’S SUBCOMMITTEES, 1942–1946 [M1944, Rolls 56–62]

At the Commission’s first meeting on August 25, 1943, it was resolved to appoint seven subcommittees with specific duties and membership. The Committee on Definition of Works of Cultural Value and Property, under David E. Finley, undertook to define more concretely those general terms which had appeared in the letter from the Secretary of State outlining the Commission’s functions. The Committee on Administration, composed of Mr. Finley and Huntington Cairns, considered and reported to the Commission on its administrative organization. The Committee on Books, Manuscripts, and Other Printed and Written material of Cultural Value was appointed to consider and report on the classes of these specific items with which the Commission should concern itself. Chaired by Archibald MacLeish, its Advisors were Solon J. Buck, Waldo G. Leland, Henry M. Lydenberg, A.S.W. Rosenbach, and Lewis Hanke.

The Commission requested the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Committee on the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas and the American Defense-Harvard Group to channel their work through the Commission for distribution to the appropriate government agencies. The Committee on Collection of Maps, Information, and Description of Art Objects was established to implement this policy under the co-chairmanship of William B. Dinsmoor and Paul J. Sachs, with Charles R. Morey, Sumner McK. Crosby, and William L.M. Burke as Advisers.

The Committee on Personnel, headed by Paul J. Sachs with W.G. Constable as Adviser, submitted to the War Department names of personnel serving in the armed forces who were qualified for appointment to the Civil Affairs Division for service in its Museum, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) Section. After the war, it submitted the names of qualified civilians willing to carry on the work begun by the military and civilian employees of the War Department. Closely connected with this committee was the Committee on Art Instruction in Military Government schools, under David E. Finley, appointed to confer with the officials of the Provost Marshal general’s Office and to supply the names of qualified volunteers to instruct on the subject of protection and salvage of cultural and historic monuments.

The Committee on Axis-Appropriated Property was established to compile from all available sources a record of enemy looting. Francis Henry Taylor served as chairman, John Walker as Special Adviser. The other committee members were Daniel C. Rich and Robert Woods Bliss. This committee held a special meeting on April 15, 1944, at the National Gallery of Art, in order to primarily to consider steps to be recommended for the customs control of looted art objects entering this country, and to review the Commission’s policy with regard to receiving claims from private individuals for looted art objects.

General Records, 1943–1944 (A1, Entry 42) [M1944, Roll 56]

Unarranged.

This series consists correspondence, memoranda, lists, resolutions, proposals, recommendations, reports, and notes from various subcommittees.

Records of David E. Finley

David E. Finley, Director of the National Gallery of Art and a member of the Commission of Fine Arts, was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Roberts Commission on August 20, 1943. He had been intimately involved in the Commission’s establishment, and his files contain correspondence of this process. He served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Definition of Works of Cultural Value and Property and of the Subcommittee on Art Instruction in Military Government Schools, and with Huntington Cairns composed the Subcommittee on Administration. Finley took part in the day-to-day functioning of the Commission staff throughout its existence, but the records preserved here relate primarily to the Commission’s establishment and the appointment of personnel.

Correspondence and Memoranda, 1943–1944 (A1, Entry 43) [M1944, Roll 56]

Unarranged.

This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, and notes.

Correspondence with Henry C. Newton, 1944 (A1, Entry 44) [M1944, Roll 56]

Arranged chronologically.

This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, and notes with, or regarding, Brigadier General Henry C. Newton, who was appointed by the War Department at the Commission’s recommendation to take charge of and coordinate the activities of Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers in the field with the Commission’s program.

Applications, 1943–1944 (A1, Entry 45) [M1944, Roll 56]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of applications for positions with the Commission and includes David E. Finley’s letters in response to those applications.

Records of Paul J. Sachs

Paul J. Sachs, the Associate Director Harvard University’s Fogg Museum of Fine Arts, was a member of the Roberts Commission throughout its existence. He served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Personnel, which submitted to the War Department the names of personnel serving in the armed forces who were qualified for appointment to its Civil Affairs Division to serve in its Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section. After the war, the subcommittee submitted the names of qualified civilians who were willing to carry on the wok begun by the military as civilian employees of the War Department. Sachs and William B. Dinsmoor were co-chairmen of the Subcommittee on Collection of Maps, Information, and Description of Art Objects, which was established to channel the work of the ACLS Committee on the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas and the American Defense-Harvard Group to the appropriate government agencies.

General Correspondence, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 46) [M1944, Rolls 57–58]

Arranged roughly alphabetically by name.

This series consists of correspondence, telegrams, and notes to and from government officials, military officers, and private individuals interested in Commission affairs. Topics include employment prospects of applicants for work with the Commission or one of the related Government and military offices, evaluations of Commission work, and publicity for the Commission.

Correspondence with Commission Members and Personnel, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 47) [M1944, Rolls 57–58]

Arranged roughly alphabetically by name.

This series consists of correspondence and telegrams to and from Charles Butler, Huntington Cairns, W.G. Constable, William B. Dinsmoor, William Emerson, David Finley, John Gilmore, John H. Scarff, Henry C. Newton, Charles Sawyer, and Francis Henry Taylor. Other individuals are also referenced throughout the correspondence.

Correspondence with Related Committees and Institutions, 1942–1943 (A1, Entry 48) [M1944, Roll 58]

Arranged in roughly chronological order.

This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, reports, and telegrams to and from government officials, military officers, and members of groups such as the American Defense-Harvard Group and the Committee of the American Council of Learned Societies on the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas.

Personnel Correspondence, 1943–1944 (A1, Entry 49) [M1944, Roll 59]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of correspondence regarding applications from military personnel and private individuals seeking employment with the Commission or as Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers. Included are curricula vitae and letters of reference.

Minutes of Commission Meetings, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 50) [M1944, Roll 60]

Arranged chronologically by date.

This series consists of the minutes of meetings of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas. Included are meeting agendas and handwritten notes.

Memoranda, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 51) [M1944, Roll 60]

Unarranged.

This series consists of memoranda, correspondence, reports, news releases, and notes by Commission members and personnel; Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers; and concerned individuals on matters related to Commission work. Topics include personnel assignments, identification of looted art objects, restoration and/or preservation work, the decision to bring some German art objects to the United States for restoration and/or safekeeping, and the work of the American Defense-Harvard Group. The final report of the American Defense-Harvard Group, dated June 1940 to June 1945, is also included.

Personnel Data, 1943 (A1, Entry 52) [M1944, Roll 60]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of brief curricula vitae of individuals under consideration for work with the Commission due to their education and experience in areas such as art, architecture, and languages. Almost all of them were in the armed services. A few work for the United States government or in the private sector.

Personnel Lists, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 53) [M1944, Roll 60]

Unarranged.

This series consists of lists and correspondence regarding military personnel and civilians under consideration for work with the Commission due to their education and experience in areas such as architecture, library science, and archives. Included are lists of Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers working abroad and correspondence regarding recommendations for an overseas Director.

Personnel Cards, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 54) [M1944, Roll 61]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file in which each card contains some or all of the following information: name, present employment, education/experience, languages, travel, address, and remarks about military personnel and a small number of civilians under consideration for work with the Commission. Included are various brief lists of names sent to the secretary of the Commission.

Commission Accounts, 1943–1944 (A1, Entry 55) [M1944, Roll 61]

Unarranged.

This series consists of purchase requisitions, invoices, handwritten account entries, and notes regarding travel expenses and office supplies.

General Lists and Master Lists, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 56) [M1944, Roll 61]

Unarranged.

This series consists of lists of Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) personnel, armed forces personnel, civilians with assimilated rank, civilians for assistant positions, and women under consideration for work with the Commission.

Materials Concerning the Subcommission for Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (Italy), 1944 (A1, Entry 57) [M1944, Roll 61]

Unarranged.

This series consists of reports, memoranda, and newspaper articles regarding the condition of monuments and works of art in Italy. Includes lists of monuments, general orders, and instructions to United States military personnel regarding the protection of monuments and works of art. Under the direction of the Sub-commission, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers surveyed damage to cultural monuments in war areas and directed efforts to restore and protect them.

Scheme for the Restitution of Objects d’Art, Scientific Equipment, Books, and Archives, 1944 (A1, Entry 58) [M1944, Roll 61]

Unarranged.

This series consists of a draft scheme by the Books and Periodicals Commission of the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education with related memoranda; reports and memoranda on the activities of Monument, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) officers in Italy; revised schemes as of August 1944; transcriptions of radio talks regarding the condition of churches and monuments in Sicily; and documents such as draft policy directives and ordinances regarding post-hostility planning.

Miscellaneous Material, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 59) [M1944, Roll 62]

Unarranged.

This series consists of reports, lists, handbooks, and memoranda regarding monuments and works of art in Italy. Includes a soldier’s guide to Naples, transcripts of a hearing for an appropriations bill on Commission funding for fiscal year 1945, transcripts of Parliamentary debates in the House of Lords regarding bombing policy and preservation of historical and art treasures, and draft minutes of the first through fifth meetings of the Vaucher Committee.

RECORDS RELATING TO THE MONUMENTS, FINE ARTS, AND ARCHIVES SECTION OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT’S CIVIL AFFAIRS DIVISION, 1943–1946 [M1944, Rolls 62–84]

The Roberts Commission’s original terms of reference included providing advice to the War Department regarding the appointment of specialists for services with the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section. Accordingly, a regular liaison was maintained between the Commission and the Civil Affairs Division of the War Department. As part of this cooperation, the Commission received MFA&A field reports from the War Department.

Records Concerning Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Offices (MFA&A), 1945 (A1, Entry 60) [M1944, Roll 62]

Arranged by subject.

This series consists of reports, lists, and memoranda presented by Major Mason Hammond, an army officer who frequently acted as liaison between the Commission and the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) Section of the Civil Affairs Division of the War Department’s Military Government Branch. Much of this material concerns personnel issues and reparation, restitution, and disposition policies, mainly regarding Germany. Also includes an official list of protected monuments in France, a report on monuments and works of art in Greece, memoranda regarding military government planning in the Far East, and assignment of United States and British MFA&A officers in Europe.

Unarranged.

This series consists of two Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) tables of organization for the United States Zone in Germany. The first table is for November 21, 1945, through March 1, 1946, and includes personnel distribution; the second table is a proposed table of organization for March 1, 1946, through June 30, 1946, and includes personnel requirements.

MFA&A Field Reports, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 62) [M1944, Roll 62–81]

Arranged numerically by field report number (1–389).

This series consists of field reports and memoranda relating primarily to war damage to cultural and historic monuments in the European Theater of Operations, and to measures taken for their immediate protection and eventual restoration. Includes material on the Central Collecting Points, as well as correspondence, newspaper articles, publications, posters, maps, photographs, and policies and directives from the Civil Affairs Division for Operation Overlord. These reports are labeled AMG-1 through AMG-389.

Index to Allied Military Government (AMG) Reports, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 63) [M1944, Roll 81]

Arranged numerically 1–389.

This series consists of a card file that contains the AMG report number, date of the report, and a description or listing of the report contents.

Captions to Photographs in AMG Reports, 1944–1945 (A1, Entry 64) [M1944, Rolls 81–82]

Arranged alphabetically by country; thereunder by city, town or building; thereunder by Allied Military Government (AMG) report number.

This series consists of a card file that contains an Allied Military Government (AMG) report number and captions for photographs submitted with the report.

See also A1, Entries 64A and 69.

Control Card File for Borrowed Photographs of Cultural Institutions and Artwork in Europe and Other War Areas, 1944–1946 (A1, Entry 64A) [M1944, Rolls 82–83]

Arranged alphabetically by country, and thereunder by region, city, town, or building.

This series consists of a card file in which each card contains some or all of the following information: country name, name of region/city/town/building, photograph caption or description, sources, ETO (European Theater of Operations) or SC (Signal Corps) number, borrower, and date of loan. Includes a miscellaneous section at the end of the series regarding borrowers and lists of SC numbers.

See also A1, Entries 64 and 69.

Special Files, 1944–1945 (A1, Entry 65) [M1944, Roll 84]

Arranged numerically 1–50.

This series consists of a card file containing information such as reports, correspondence, meeting minutes, publications, interviews, telegrams, and summaries relating to Monument, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) work, most of which are drawn from sources other than the Allied Military Government (AMG) reports.

Summary cards Relating to Allied Millitary Government (AMG) Reports, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 65A) [M1944, Roll 84]

Arranged numerically.

This series consists of a card file containing an AMG (Allied Military Government) report number along with the dates and subject matter of items in that report. There are cards for selected reports numbered 4 through 134, and for number 305.

See also A1, Entry 63.

Card File of Japanese Works, Collections, Sites, and Installations Requiring Protection, 1946 (A1, Entry 72) [A3383, Rolls 1–9]

Arranged in two parts. The first is arranged alphabetically by region, thereunder alphabetically by prefecture, and thereunder by city or village, except for the Chugoku Region, which was placed at the end of the second roll. The second part is arranged by prefecture and thereunder by city or village.

This series consists of records microfilmed by the Education Ministry of the Imperial Japanese Government in 1946 and contain information on cultural and historic works and sites in Japan requiring protection. The first part consists of two rolls of card files. Each card lists the location, name, ownership, and current physical condition of the work or site, plus a short description or history. The second part consists of seven rolls that originally were duplicated on eight rolls of 35 mm microfilm. Two rolls are combined for economy of space. The records consist of booklets that are unbound, and the handwritten or typed pages are adhered to card stock. Each “card” lists the location, name, ownership, and current physical condition of the work or site, plus a short description or history. The records originally were filmed in reverse order. Therefore, in order for the “cards” or pages to be viewed in ascending order, the microfilm should be fast-forwarded to the end of the roll and read from right to left. The lists of prefectures reflect the order of the records from the end to the beginning of the roll. The original records filmed are not now part of RG 239.

RECORDS RELATING TO THE ART LOOTING INVESTIGATION UNIT OF THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES, 1940–1946 [M1944, Rolls 84–94]

Art Looting Investigation Unit

The formation of an art looting investigation unit under the Office of Strategic Services was authorized by an inter-branch directive dated November 21, 1944. The primary mission of unit was “to collect and disseminate such information bearing on the looting, confiscation and transfer by the enemy of art properties in Europe, and on individuals or organizations involved in such operations or transactions, as will be of direct aid to the United States agencies empowered to effect restitution of such properties and prosecution of war criminals.” The unit maintained an active liaison with the Roberts Commission throughout the war and in the immediate postwar period.

The Washington headquarters had primary responsibility for the administration of the Unit, maintenance of its permanent records, procurement and training of personnel, and integration of field activities. In addition, it maintained direct liaison with The American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas (Roberts Commission); the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Branch of the Civil Affairs Division, G-5, War Department; the Economic Security Controls Division of the State Department; The Foreign Economic Administration; the Captured Materials and Personnel Branch, G-2, War Department; and, the Foreign Funds Control, Treasury Department.

The Unit was composed of 10 field representatives and analysts. Field headquarters was established in London in January 1945. The London office assumed responsibility for the planning of all field operations, the reception and collation of material submitted by field representatives and the transmission of such material, as well as maintenance of the operational files of the project. It maintained direct liaison with the following allied agencies: The Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Branches of G-5, SHAEF, USFET, US Group Control Commission (Germany), G-5 AFHQ, Allied Control Commission (Italy), G-5 US Forces (Austria), and the British Element (Control Commission, Germany); the US Chief of Counsel (Nurnberg); the Economic Warfare Division (US Embassy, London); the Ministry of Economic Warfare; the Commission de Recuperation Artistique (France); the Netherlands Ryjksbureau voor de Monumentenzord; the British Committee on Preservation and Restitution of Works of Art, Archives, and Other Material in Enemy Hands (McMillan Committee); and the Inter-Allied Commission for Protection and Restitution of Cultural Material (Vaucher-Gros Commission).

Field Operations of Art Looting Investigation Unit

Spain and Portugal

An investigation of aspects of German art looting activities in the Iberian peninsula in the form of German-owned property present in Spain and Portugal was initiated by the Operations Officer of the Unit late in January 1945. This operation was continued intermittently through May 8, 1945. One case of major importance was developed by the Operations Officer during this period: namely, that of the art holdings of Alois Miedl, a German banker, speculator, and financial agent of Hermann Göring. The Operations Officer interrogated Miedl over an extended period of time and in great detail, and, with the intervention of the U.S. and Dutch diplomatic missions in Madrid, secured the permission of the Spanish Government to examine personally the 22 works of art placed in Miedl’s name in the Free Port of Bilbao. Not only did the Miedl case become the keystone in subsequent investigations by the Unit of German art looting in Holland, but the Miedl-owned paintings were sequestered by the Spanish Government and placed at the disposition of the Dutch Minister as a result of information presented by the Operations Officer to the Spanish Government.

Italy

The Director of the Unit proceeded to Italy on March 10, 1945, to conduct a survey of art looting problems in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, and to supervise the interrogation, at Rome, of Wilhelm Mohnen, German espionage agent and minor participant in German official art looting activities in France. The Italian operation continued through May 1, 1945. Such German looting as had been conducted in Italy was investigated thoroughly by the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFA&A) Branch of Allied Forces Headquarters and of the Allied Control Commission. Continuing liaison was established with these agencies, and the Director of the Unit was able to advise MFA&A officers on outstanding problems. The detailed interrogation of Mohnen revealed little new information concerning German art looting, and was chiefly productive for broad intelligence purposes.

Subsequent to V-E Day, the Unit was requested by AFHQ to dispatch one of its members to Italy to conduct interrogations of leading members of the German Kunstschutz [Note 20] organization who had been captured in the fighting in the North. Because of the Unit’s operation impending in Germany, a member of the parallel British unit undertook this mission at the suggestion of the Director.

England

From January 15, 1945, through V-E Day, the Unit was active in London compiling a master file comprising information on over 2,000 individuals believed to have been active in some degree in German art looting. Close liaison was established and maintained with British, Dutch, and French officials working on the same problem, and the London offices of the Unit became the central repository and clearing house for all information in Allied hands on this subject. Immediately after V-E Day, the Unit issued to all Allied intelligence teams on the Continent, a “high priority” personnel target list carrying the names of 21 individuals considered to be the most prominent figures involved in the German operations and wanted urgently for interrogation and subsequent prosecution.

France

Contact with the French authorities was made initially in Paris early in June 1945. The Unit made available to the French Government all information gained during the German operation, and from other sources, bearing on German art looting in France and affecting French interests. The Operations Officer maintained close liaison from September 1945 through February 1946, with representatives of the Commission de Recuperation Artistique, the Ministry of Justice, and the French intelligence agencies, and acted as informal technical advisor to the French Government in art looting problems. Apart from the material amount of information given to the French agencies, the Unit was directly responsible for the return to France of a number of individual works of art and for the delivery into French custody of several of the Germans most conspicuously involved in the French depredations.

Switzerland

The Unit conducted investigations in Switzerland from November 20, 1945 through January 10, 1946, under the aegis of the Economic Counselor to the American Legation at Bern. The chief problem under consideration was the flow to Switzerland, and the concealment there, of works of art looted by the Germans in the occupied countries. The Director and the Operations Officer conducted interrogations of German and Swiss nationals who had been active in the official German interest, and collaborated with U.S. diplomatic representatives in endeavoring to persuade the Swiss Federal Government to make available to the Allies all information bearing on the subject. Pertinent information gained in the course of the German operation was presented to the Swiss federal political department for use of the federal customs and Office of Compensation. The detailed results of the Swiss operation are incorporated in State Department Safehaven Reports No. 148 and No. 229.

The German Operation

Three members of the Unit, James Plaut [Note 21], Theodore Rousseau, and Lane Faison, proceeded to Germany on May 20, 1945, to undertake the interrogation of enemy art looting personnel captured subsequent to the submission of the Unit’s high priority list to field intelligence agencies. [Note 22 ] Authority was received from G-5, Headquarters, 12th Army Group, for members of the Unit to proceed to the Third U.S. Army area to engage as technical advisers in an investigation of German art looting being conducted by the Judge Advocate, Third U.S. Army, on behalf of the Judge Advocate (War Crimes), 12th Army Group. On June 10, 1945, a special interrogation center was established by the Unit at Alt Aussee, Austria, in conjunction with the Judge Advocate, Third U.S. Army, and was operated from this date through October 1, 1945, under joint command. Detailed interrogation of the 20 enemy officials most prominent in German art looting was conducted during this period.

After months of investigation Plaut, Rousseau, Faison, and their Dutch colleague Jan Vlug, produced three “Consolidated Interrogation Reports” and a separate Report on the Dienststelle Muhlmann.

Subject File, 1940–1946 (A1, Entry 73) [M1944, Rolls 84–93]

Arranged roughly alphabetically by subject.

This series consists of lists, reports, correspondence, photographs, mail intercepts, and copies of captured German documents relating to cultural materials in Europe. Subjects pertain to art looting in various countries, Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR), German personnel lists including some names connected with art looting, Göring’s art acquisitions, repositories in Germany, activities of the German Kunstschutz and various art dealers, and the final report of the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU).

Detailed Interrogation Reports, 1945–1946 (A1, Entry 74) [M1944, Roll 94]

Arranged numerically by report number (1–7, 9–13).

This series consists of reports dealing with the activities of various agents employed by Hitler, Göring, and Rosenberg to acquire artworks for them in Axis-occupied countries. Includes correspondence from the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) regarding detailed and consolidated interrogation reports. Detailed Interrogation Report No. 8 on Kajetan Muehlmann was not issued. Detailed Interrogation Report No.14 on the activities of Maria Dietrich was planned. It was not issued, but a full accounting of her activities was incorporated into Consolidated Interrogation Report No. 4. Also, a Detailed Interrogation Report No. 15 on Rose Bauer, Muehlmann’s secretary, was contemplated but not issued.

Consolidated Interrogation Reports, 1945 (A1, Entry 75) [M1944, Rolls 94–95]

This series consists of reports dealing with the art-looting activities of Göring and Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR), and with Hitler’s Museum and Library in Linz. Subject indexes are included with the reports. Consolidated Interrogation Report No. 3 on German methods of acquisition was planned but not issued.

RECORDS OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LEARNED SOCIETIES COMMITTEE FOR THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL TREASURES IN WAR AREAS, 1943–1946 [M1944, Rolls 95–154]

In the course of 1941, there was much private discussion among American educators and museum officials regarding the dangers which the war presented to European artworks and cultural monuments. On January 29, 1943, at the initiative of Waldo G. Leland, the Director of the American Council of Learned Societies, the ACLS Executive Committee appointed William B. Dinsmoor, President of the Archaeological Institute of America, to chair the ACLS Committee for the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas. With the assistance of Charles R. Morey, Dinsmoor co-opted additional members to the committee, including Sumner McK. Crosby (Executive Secretary), Paul J. Sachs, Francis H. Taylor, John Walker, and others who later became involved in the work of the Roberts Commission. Together with the American Defense- Harvard Group, an ad hoc body of scholars with a similar goal, the ACLS Committee was instrumental in securing the formation of the Roberts Commission. The ACLS Committee’s principal activity thereafter was the production of maps and handbooks identifying cultural materials in war areas, as well as the compiling of lists of monuments and artworks in areas likely to be occupied by elements of the United States armed forces. These materials were channeled to the War Department’s Museum, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) Section through the Roberts Commission, with which the ACLS Committee remained closely associated throughout the war.

Reports, 1943–1944 (A1, Entry 76) [M1944, Roll 95]

Unarranged.

This series consists of reports and correspondence plus meeting agendas and minutes of the Committee of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) on Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas which describe some of the Committee’s objectives and activities. Includes a notice on the formation of the League for the Protection of the Inheritance of Civilization by a group of Argentine intellectuals in Buenos Aires and a magazine clipping regarding Titian’s Danae which was sent to Monte Cassino for safekeeping, but subsequently may have been acquired by Göring.

Personnel Questionnaires, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 77) [M1944, Roll 95]

Unarranged.

This series consists for the most part of printed questionnaires submitted to the Committee by individuals volunteering to work on cultural preservation projects in war areas. Information requested in the questionnaires included the individual’s knowledge of cultural materials in various overseas areas, travels to these areas, and fields of expertise.

See also A1, Entry 20.

Notes on Safeguarding and Conserving Cultural Material in the Field, 1943 (A1, Entry 78) [M1944, Roll 95]

Unarranged.

This series consists of copies of “Notes on Safeguarding and Conserving Cultural Material in the Field” in two parts. This manual was produced for the instruction of Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) personnel by the American Defense-Harvard Group Committee on Protection of Monuments.

Handbooks and Lists of Monuments, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 79) [M1944, Rolls 95–99]

Arranged alphabetically by country.

This series consists of handbooks and lists of monuments produced by the War Department’s Civil Affairs Division for the use of Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFA&A) personnel on the basis of information supplied by the American Council of Learned Societies Committee (ACLS).

See also A1, Entries 11, 79, and 80.

Draft Guide to the Cultural Treasures of France, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 80) [M1944, Roll 100]

Arranged by geographical areas, Northern, Central, and Southern; thereunder alphabetically by region; thereunder alphabetically by department; and thereunder alphabetically by city or town.

This series consists of copy proofs of two Civil Affairs handbooks titled M352-17B for northern France and M352-17C for central and southern France. For each town or city, there is a list of churches, houses, monuments, and institutions of major cultural significance, together with a brief description.

See also A1, Entries 11, 24, and 79.

Archives Card File, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 81) [M1944, Rolls 100–101]

Arranged by two regions, Europe and Pacific Areas; thereunder alphabetically by country; and thereunder alphabetically by city or town.

This series consists of a card file containing some or all of the following information: country, city or town, name of archives, address, official head, description of holdings, building information, and sources.

Analytical Working File, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 82) [M1944, Rolls 102–104]

Arranged alphabetically by country and thereunder alphabetically by city, town, or building name.

This series consists of a card file containing country of origin; name of city, town, or building; and one or more Roman numeral-letter combination. These Roman numeral-letter combinations, or secondaries, range from II-A through II-E. At least one of the secondaries has a number below it indicating how many cards for that secondary are to be found in the Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 83).

See also A1, Entries 11, 82A, 83, and 92 for related major and/or secondary records.

Name Indexes to the Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 82A) [M1944, Rolls 105–108]

Arranged by categories I-A through I-D, in which I-A stands for artists, I-B indicates art dealers, I-C means the owners or donors of the art work, and I-D signifies art historian personnel; and thereunder alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file containing names of individuals, galleries, cities, and artist attribution, such as School of Cimabue, within categories I-A through I-D. Each card includes references to another Roman numeral-letter combination to be found in the Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 83).

See also A1, Entries 11, 82, 83, and 92 for related major and/or secondary records.

Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 83) [M1944, Rolls 109–128]

Arranged in three parts, thereunder alphabetically by country, and thereunder alphabetically by city or town. Part 1 includes a Roman numeral-letter combination ranging from II-A through II-E; Part 2 is designated by Roman numeral II; and Part 3 includes Roman numerals III through V.

This series consists of a card file with each card containing a summary of available information on cultural monuments and works of art. The material in this series includes auctions of art work; condition of buildings, such as bomb damage; and repository locations. Similar information is found on the cards for Part 2. Cards for Part 3 include categories such as objects, propaganda, and publications, with a miscellaneous section at the beginning of the file. The Roman numeral-letter combinations appearing on the cards for Part 1 indicate that these cards are secondaries to the major cards to be found in the Name Indexes to the Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 82A).

See also A1, Entries 11, 82, 82A, and 92 for related major and/or secondary records.

Country Card File, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 84) [M1944, Rolls 128–151]

Arranged alphabetically by country; thereunder alphabetically by province, county for some countries, or island group such as for Greece; and thereunder alphabetically by city or town.

This series consists of a card file containing some or all of the following information: country, province or county, city or town, monument, address, official head, holdings, building information, and sources. Includes many cards relating to various archives, such as state and municipal, which are identical to those found in the Archives Card File, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 81).

French Private Collections File, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 85) [M1944, Rolls 152–153]

Arranged by category such as sales, dealers, private collections now public, and private collections; and thereunder alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file containing some or all of the following information: country, city or town, name, address, holdings, and sources.

Italian Private Collections File, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 86) [M1944, Roll 153]

Arranged by category such as miscellaneous sources, memoranda on file, not considered private collections, and private collections in Italy; and thereunder, alphabetically by name of institution, building, or individual for the last two categories.

This series consists of a card file containing some or all of the following information: country, city or town, name, address, holdings, building information, and sources.

Miscellaneous French and Italian Private Art Collections File, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 87) [M1944, Roll 154]

Arranged alphabetically by city or town.

This series consists of a card file containing some or all of the following information: city or town, name of collection or owner, and country or region.

Card Index to European Personnel, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 88) [M1944, Roll 154]

Arranged alphanumerically by identification number.

This series consists of a card file containing an alphanumeric identification number, such as I 210, and the name of the individual. Additional information for many of the names in this index can be found in the Card File on European Personnel, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 89).

Card File on European Personnel, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 89) [M1944, Roll 154]

Arranged alphabetically by name.

This series consists of a card file containing some or all of the following information: name; identification number; address; date of birth; physical description; education; employment history; professional and political associations, such as being a member of the Nazi party; war-time activities; and sources. There is a miscellaneous section at the end of the file that includes keys to source citations.

RECORDS OF THE INTER-ALLIED COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION AND RESTITUTION OF CULTURAL MATERIALS (THE VAUCHER COMMISSION), 1944–1945 [M1944, Roll 154]

The Inter-Allied Commission for the Protection and Restitution of Cultural Material (Vaucher Commission) was established in April 1944, under the chairmanship of Professor Paul Vaucher as a subcommission of the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education. Composed of representatives of the various Allied governments, the Vaucher Commission had as its purpose the study of problems relating to protection, restitution, and reparations, as well as the collection and organization of information relating to looting, for the eventual use of SHAEF and particularly of its Civil Affairs Section. The Vaucher Commission was the body with which the Roberts Commission’s representatives abroad were at first chiefly concerned. The Vaucher Commission’s secretariat functioned as a central bureau for information on looted objects for the use of Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives officers until its dissolution in November 1945. Professor Andre Gros replaced Professor Paul Vaucher as the Commission’s chairman in June 1945.

Minutes, 1944–1945 (A1, Entry 90) [M1944, Roll 154]

Arranged chronologically.

This series consists of the draft minutes of Vaucher Commission meetings from the first meeting held on April 25, 1944, through the eighteenth meeting convened on July 6, 1945. Includes a folder entitled “Vaucher Commission – All Meetings: Miscellaneous” that contains correspondence concerning Vaucher Commission business. That same folder also includes a document which lists the names of individuals who were detained because of associations with the Nazis and art-looting activities.

Records of the Secretariat, 1945 (A1, Entry 91) [M1944, Roll 154]

Unarranged.

This series consists of proposals, correspondence, memoranda, and notes for establishing a Secretariat to coordinate information relating to the looting of works of art by Germany; creating indexes; and organizing files. Includes copies of “The New Pallas Art and Archaeology News Bulletin.”

Miscellaneous Records, 1945 (A1, Entry 92) [M1944, Roll 154]

Unarranged.

This series consists of a summary report, notes, and index cards. The summary report, written by John Walker and sent to the Commission, expresses his concern for the safekeeping of captured German inventories of material looted in France, Belgium, and Holland; and the need for additional clerk-typists to assist Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives officers in Europe. The index cards duplicate those located in Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 83), and the Card File on European Personnel, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 89).

MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS, 1943–1946

Microfilm Copies of Reports from the Mediterranean and European Theaters of Operations Received from the Allied Military Government, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 93) [A3380, Rolls 1–3]

Arranged in four sections: The first section is arranged by date of film order request; the second section is arranged roughly alphabetically by name; the third section is unarranged; and the fourth section is arranged alphabetically by the name of private collections in Belgium and France, and is unarranged for the remainder of the materials.

The original 23 rolls in this series were filmed for reference purposes by the Roberts Commission and may contain as few as five frames on a roll. For convenience, the frames from those rolls were spliced together into 3 rolls for the public to use.

Section 1 consists of selected pages extracted from the first 134 Allied Military Government (AMG) reports produced between September 1943 and June 1945. They originally were duplicated on 10 rolls of 35 mm microfilm as the first step toward creating several index-card files between March and June 1945. From the microfilm negatives, over 2,400 enlarged photographic prints were produced, clipped apart, and pasted onto 4- by 6-inch index cards. The resulting card files, known as the Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 83), were organized alphabetically by country and are available on Microfilm Publication M1944, rolls 109–128. The AMG reports appear in full within the series MFA&A Field Reports, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 62), which is available on microfilm publication M1944, rolls 62–81. An index to the AMG reports is available on M1944, roll 81.

Section 2 consists of index cards describing damage to archives, churches, museums, and other cultural institutions, and includes proposals for repairing the damage.

Section 3 consists of index cards summarizing available information on cultural monuments and works of art. The material in this series includes auctions of art work; condition of buildings, such as bomb damage; and repository locations. This information was extracted from the Geographical Working Files, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 83). Other cards in this section contain some or all of the following information: name; identification number; address; date of birth; physical description; education; employment history; professional and political affiliations, such as being a member of the Nazi party; war-time activities; and sources. This material may be found in the Card File on European Personnel, 1943–1945 (A1, Entry 89), which is available on microfilm publication M1944, roll 154.

Section 4 consists of lists of public and private art collections. Includes lists for the Nathaniel von Rothschild collection, the Alphons Rothschild collection, the Heeresmuseum für Kunst und Industrie, private art collections in Belgium and France, and three lists which are unidentified.