Marburg Central Collecting Point

In 1943, the American government established the ''American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas''. This commission, unofficially called the [[Roberts Commission]] after its chairman Supreme Court Justice [[Owen J. Roberts]], had lists drawn up of monuments in Europe that were worthy of protection and were to be secured against further damage immediately after the withdrawal of military units. For practical implementation, a special military section called the [[Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program]], or MFA&A for short, was founded, whose art protection officers were informally referred to as "Monuments Men" because of their activities. In addition, the unit was to collect the cultural assets that had been looted from the occupied countries, primarily by the [[Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce]], and return them to their original owners.

In 1943, the American government established the ''American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas''. This commission, unofficially called the [[Roberts Commission]] after its chairman Supreme Court Justice [[Owen J. Roberts]], had lists drawn up of monuments in Europe that were worthy of protection and were to be secured against further damage immediately after the withdrawal of military units. For practical implementation, a special military section called the [[Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program]], or MFA&A for short, was founded, whose art protection officers were informally referred to as "Monuments Men" because of their activities. In addition, the unit was to collect the cultural assets that had been looted from the occupied countries, primarily by the [[Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce]], and return them to their original owners.

[[file:WalkerHancock SI 113777.jpg|thumb|[[Walker Hancock]], around 1960]]

[[file:WalkerHancock SI 113777.jpg|thumb|[[Walker Hancock]] {{Circa|1960}}]]

In the fall of 1944, the first officers following the Allied front line, which was slowly shifting eastward from France, reached German soil. [[George L. Stout]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stout, Lt. Cdr. George L., USNR {{!}} Monuments Men and Women {{!}} Monuments Men Foundation |url=https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/stout-lt-cdr-george-l-usnr |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220618205119/https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/stout-lt-cdr-george-l-usnr |archive-date=June 18, 2022 |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=MonumentsMenWomenFnd |language=en}}</ref> and [[Walker Hancock]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hancock, Capt. Walker K. {{!}} Monuments Men and Women {{!}} Monuments Men Foundation |url=https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/hancock-capt-walker-k |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926181615/https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/hancock-capt-walker-k |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=MonumentsMenWomenFnd |language=en}}</ref> became aware of a large cache of artifacts in a former iron ore mine near [[Siegen]] during their stay in war-torn [[Aachen]].<ref name="Hancock 1946">Hancock, Walker (1946). ''Experiences of a Monuments Officer in Germany''. In: ''College Art Journal'' 5:4, May 1946, pp. 271–311. {{doi|10.2307/773217}}</ref> During their subsequent visit to the Hain mine in early April 1945, the two officers discovered in a separate and guarded room nearly 600 paintings, hundreds of sculptures and other objects that were already attacked by mold due to the prevailing high humidity. To secure the artworks, Stout and Hancock decided to evacuate them as quickly as possible. However, because this was not immediately possible due to the ongoing state of war, they continued their inspection trip.

In the fall of 1944, the first officers following the Allied front line, which was slowly shifting eastward from France, reached German soil. [[George L. Stout]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stout, Lt. Cdr. George L., USNR {{!}} Monuments Men and Women {{!}} Monuments Men Foundation |url=https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/stout-lt-cdr-george-l-usnr |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220618205119/https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/stout-lt-cdr-george-l-usnr |archive-date=June 18, 2022 |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=MonumentsMenWomenFnd |language=en}}</ref> and [[Walker Hancock]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hancock, Capt. Walker K. {{!}} Monuments Men and Women {{!}} Monuments Men Foundation |url=https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/hancock-capt-walker-k |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926181615/https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/hancock-capt-walker-k |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=MonumentsMenWomenFnd |language=en}}</ref> became aware of a large cache of artifacts in a former iron ore mine near [[Siegen]] during their stay in war-torn [[Aachen]].<ref name="Hancock 1946">Hancock, Walker (1946). ''Experiences of a Monuments Officer in Germany''. In: ''College Art Journal'' 5:4, May 1946, pp. 271–311. {{doi|10.2307/773217}}</ref> During their subsequent visit to the Hain mine in early April 1945, the two officers discovered in a separate and guarded room nearly 600 paintings, hundreds of sculptures and other objects that were already attacked by mold due to the prevailing high humidity. To secure the artworks, Stout and Hancock decided to evacuate them as quickly as possible. However, because this was not immediately possible due to the ongoing state of war, they continued their inspection trip.