THE RAPE OF EUROPA

i've missed several days, since my mom was here and i paid my attention to her instead of daily documentaries.  the film i watched today was incredibly informative.  maybe i should know about hitler's art thefts, but i didn't.  i learned so much today.  hitler was an 18yo applicant to vienna academy of art, but his application was rejected.  in one of the intriguing questions the film raises, what would the world be IF he was granted admission.  hitler's "talents" moved him in other directions and in his goal to annihilate the people and culture of those he considered racially inferior; all the while, with his eye to the fine art in those countries.  for some, he and his next-in-line goring, established a plan to collect the fine art pieces for his own; for others, he determined to remove all items of the culture.
noteworthy art from across europe was targeted for seizure before invasions.  some countries managed to protect the art treasures by removing them to rural locations, such in france.  the hermitage in leningrad moved the art to underground tunnels.  other art, furniture, and daily items were destroyed by squads that burned everything to the ground.  after the usa got involved and notice arose of the destruction of cultural institutions by bombing, more thought was given to the technique of dropping bombs.  florence was saved from destruction because the allies dropped bombs in a narrow path that targeted only the railroads.  the u.s. also developed the monument men--knowledgeable in art, their role was to search, find and return art.  thousands of pieces of fine art were recovered.  the interviews with the monuments men were so emotional.  as one said, "it represented a victory of beauty over horror".  i never felt so vividly the TOTAL oppression and goal of extinction of jews and others by hitler.  the massive collections that hitler and other nazis accumulated was overwhelming.  the even more massive loss of art and personal objects even more so.  to annihilate the population just wasn't enough; all traces that a culture ever existed needed to be eliminated.  art that was german created (or non-jew created) was to be saved; the rest, plundered (meaning destroyed).   it's chilling. "monuments men" is a major motion picture in release now; i think i'll have to see it as a follow up to this documentary.  i feel i understand the real story; i'm interested in how the new film portrays the same topic.  ART MAKES US HUMAN.