Allied Looting in World War II: Thefts of Art, Manuscripts, Stamps and Jewelry in Europe

Looting has long been recognized as one of the crimes committed by the Third Reich during World War II, a crime which stripped economic wealth and artistic treasures from the populations the Nazis terrorized. This historical text reveals the shocking extent of looting by Allied forces, exploring their thievery against the Germans and others. It follows the journey of the Hungarian Crown Treasure from a muddy oil drum in Austria to Fort Knox and back to Hungary, and discusses numerous lost treasures ranging from priceless art works to rare manuscripts, including the earliest known printing by the Gutenberg press.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Acknowledgments      Foreword by Sidney D. Kirkpatrick      Introduction      Part I: STEALING A TROVE OF STAMPS 1. The 273rd Infantry Regiment      2. The Looting of Anton Wiede      3. The Investigation      Part II: A PASSION FOR LUCAS CRANACH PAINTINGS 4. Donovan Senter’s Early Days      5. The Counter Intelligence Corps      6. The Quest for Lucas Cranach Paintings      7. The Charade Continues      8. Unanswered Questions      Part III: PLUNDERING PRICELESS MANUSCRIPTS 9. The Capture of Bad Wildungen      10. Lieutenant Bud Berman      11. The Rare Book Dealer      12. The Papal Countess      13. Other Bad Wildungen Robberies      Part IV: THE SCHWARZBURG CASTLE 14. The Robbery      15. A Break in the Case      16. Churchill “Chuck” Jones Brazelton      17. The Nun and the Poster      Part V: VIGNETTES OF LOOTING 18. The Gravediggers Pillage Reutti, Germany      19. The U.N. Red Cross Robbery      20. The Rabbi’s Egyptian Ring      21. Frederick the Great’s Handwritten Manuscript      22. Berlin Central Archives      23. The Golden Book of Saarbrücken      24. The Priceless Mainz Psalter      25. Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man      26. Clara Elisabeth Hertling      Part VI: LOOTING FROM HUNGARY IN WORLD WAR II 27. Hungary      28. The Hungarian National Bank’s Gold and Silver Reserves      29. The Acquisition of the Hungarian Crown Treasure      30. The Gold Treasure of Kremsmünster      31. Cardinal Mindszenty      32. The Return of Saint Stephen’s Crown      33. The Hungarian Gold Train      34. The American Army Takes Custody      35. The General’s Kingdom      36. The End of the Gold Train Property      Appendix A: Anton Wiede’s Missing Stamps and Paintings      Appendix B: The Missing Kaltenbrunner Treasure      Appendix C: Thefts from the Weimar National Art Collections      Appendix D: Otto v. Falke’s Description of the Crown of Saint Stephen      Chapter Notes      Bibliography      Index     

About the Author :
Kenneth D. Alford is an internationally known historical consultant for television productions that involve Nazi looting, and is the author of several books. Retired from a career in banking, he lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Review :
“carefully researched and engagingly told”—On Point.