PRELIMINARY INVENTORY OF THE RECORDS OF THE AMERICAN COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION AND SALVAGE OF ARTISTIC AND HISTORIC MOMMENTS IN WAR AREAS (RECORD GROUP 239)

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100008-9
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RIFPUB
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K
Document Page Count: 
8
Document Creation Date: 
December 12, 2016
Document Release Date: 
October 26, 2001
Sequence Number: 
8
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Publication Date: 
August 1, 1965
Content Type: 
SUMMARY
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PDF icon CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100008-9.pdf385.71 KB
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Approved For Relea 1002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B0l194R001QW100008-9 NC-121 GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Anerican Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Momiments in C?Iar Areas (Record Group 239) Compiled by H. Stephen Helton and Philip C. Brooks Revised by William J. Leseuro August 1965 This inventory has been reproduced in this form by the Office of Civil Archives in order to make it readily available for staff use. It has not been distributed as a National Archives publication. Approved For Release 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100008-9 Approved For Relea 2002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B0l194R001, 100008-9 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY R.G. 239, Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas n:.YLyC Inventory: NC-124 (Aug. 1965) Security-classified correspondence, memorandums, and reports including numerous field investigation, interrogation, and special reports on people, places, and property prepared by OSS's Art Looting Investigation Unit. 1943-46 44 cu.ft. 75% classified Approved For Release 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100008-9 Approved For ReleawO2002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B01194R001D100008-9 CONTENTS Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Px'einvasion research records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Approved For Release 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP93B01194RO01300100008-9 Approved For ReleasW002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B0l194R001 J100008-9 INTRODUCTION The establishment of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in Europe was announced by the Secretary of State on August 20, 19143. It was created to pro- tect and conserve works of art, artistic and historic monuments, and valuable records in Europe, as well as to salvage and to restore to their lawful owners objects seized by the Axis Powers or their agents. In 1944 the Commission was renamed the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas. The President recognized the need for such an organization operating under the auspices of the Government; and on June 23, 1943, he approved a plan submitted by the Secretary of State. This plan was suggested by leaders in the fields of art, archeology, and ar- chitecture and in particular by two private groups, the American Defense-Harvard Group and the Committee on the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas, a committee of the American Council of Learned Societies. Under this plan the following functions were assigned to the Commission: During the war.-.-(1) To work with the appropriate branch of the United States Army, for the purpose of furnishing information to the General Staff of the Army, museum officials, and art historians so that, so far as was consistent with military necessity, works of cul- tural value could be protected in countries occupied by armies of the United Nations. (2) To compile, through the assistance of refugee librarians and historians of art, lists of property appropriated by the Axis invading forces, by representatives of Axis governments, and by private citizens of Axis countries. At the time of the armistice.--41) To urge that the armistice terms include the restitution of public property appropriated by the Axis Powers. When it was not possible to restore such property, either be- cause it had been destroyed or could not be found, restitution in kind was to be made by the Axis Powers to the countries from which the property had been taken. In such cases, the Commission recommended a list of equivalent works of art or historic documents that should be transferred to the invaded countries from Axis museums or from the private collections of Axis leaders. (2) To urge that restitution be made of private property appropriated by the Axis nations. The members of the Commission, who were appointed by the President, were as follows: Owen J. Roberts, Associate Justice of the Supreme Approved For Release 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100008-9 Approved For Rele~2002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B01194R00'IQM100008-9 Court of the United States, Chairman; David E. Finley, Director of the National Gallery of Art, Vice Chairman; Huntington Gairns, Secretary- Treasurer of the Gallery, Secretary-Treasurer; Herbert Lehman, Direc- tor of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation Operations; Archibald MacLeish, Librarian of Congress; William Bell Dinsmoor, President of the Archeo- logical. Institute of America; Francis Henry Taylor, Director of the Metropolitan Museum in New York and President of the Association of Art Museum Directors; and Paul J. Sachs, Associate Director of the Fogg Museum of Fine Arts of Harvard University. All members were ap- pointed for 3-year terms and they served without compensation. The Commission's main work throughout its 3 years'of existence consisted of advising the Civil Affairs Division of the War Department on the establishment of a Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program; providing maps and handbooks for that Division; recommending persons to serve as Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Officers; and receiving reports on the location, ownership, and condition of. cultural treasures and making that information available to other Government agencies and to scholars. The Commission spent much time in the investigation of art looting and in aiding in the restitution of looted material. These activities involved cooperation with analagous British and Allied organi- sations and with the State and Treasury Departments, the Office of Strategic Services, the Office of Censorship, and the Foreign Economic Administration. It had committees on Definition of Works of Cultural Value and Property; Administration; Books, Manuscripts, and Other Printed and Written Material of Cultural Value; Collection of Maps, Information, and Description of Art Objects; Personnel; Art Instruction in Military Government Schools; and Axis-Appropriated Property. The work of the Commission was highly centralized, however, and among its records only a few folders are identified with the work of the committees. The American Defense-Harvard Group and the Committee on the Protec- tion of Cultural Treasures in War Areas continued to assist the Commis- sion. The former prepared lists of monuments meriting protection and a manual on protective measures and aided the Commission in the selec- tion of competent personnel to work in the field. The latter prepared lists of cultural treasures and maps showing their locations and financed the arrangement of a collection of photographs showing cul- tural monuments and war damage. It also gave its research data arid, working materials to the Commission and they were incorporated into the Commission's records. The Co'Lmnission and its small staff had offices in the National Gallery of Art. A sum sufficient to meet clerical and other necessary expenses during the first year of the Commission's existence was al- located from the President's emergency fund. Thereafter appropriations were made by Congress to the Commission as an independent executive agency. Approved For Release 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP93B0l194R001300100008-9 Approved For Relea 1002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B0l194R001Q@100008-9 The last meeting of the Commission was held on June 20, 19146. Shortly thereafter its records were transferred to the custody of the Archivist. Those functions of the Commission that involved location, recovery, and restoration of cultural treasures, particularly works of art, were taken over by the Office of International Information and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State, and the Commission pro- vided that its business records and so-called special files, which included histories of the relations of the Commission with agencies of tN_c Un>.ted States and Yrith foreign agencies, should be charged by the National Archives to the Department of State for the Department's use as long as it required -'i,hem. A complete account of the background, organization, and activities of the Commission may be found in its Report (Washington, 19146. 237 p.), which includes information on its records and reproductions of a number of the photographs that it collected. The records described in this inventory are those of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas that were in the National Archives on August 16, 1965. They amount to 38 cubic feet and are designated as Record Group 239. The entry for cartographic records was supplied by Charlotte M. Ashby. Approved For Release 2002/01/08': CIA-RDP93B0l194R001300100008-9 Approved For Rele a 2002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B01194RO 00100008-9 RECORDS OF THE AMERICAN COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION AND SALVAGE OF ARTISTIC AND HISTORIC MONUMENTS IN WAR AREAS Administrative Records MINUTES OF MEETINGS OF THE 001/MISSION. Aug. 25, 1943-June 20, 1916. 5 in. 1 Copies of the minutes and verbatim transcripts of meetings, with related reports, memoranda, and notices. Arranged chronologically. GENERAL RECORDS. 1943-46. 2 ft. Chiefly applications and letters of recoimnendation. Arranged alphabetically by name of applicant. C01/ MISSIONER. 1942.,1+6. 2 ft. RECORDS OF PAUL SACKS , Copies of minutes of the Commission and correspondence and memo- randa relating to personnel matters. FISCAL AND ACCOUNTING RECORDS. 1913-47. 5 in. Pay cards, budget reports, statements of balances, summaries of allotment ledger, monthly summaries of status of appropriations, and related correspondence with the General Accounting Office and other Government agencies. Arranged alphabetically by subject. Preinvasion Research Records MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS ACCUMULATED BY THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 1913-15. 1 ft. Lists of art personnel, private collections, and cultural objects in Europe, which were compiled from varied sources. Arranged alpha- betically by name of country and thereunder by name of city. AR CARDS PROVTDIua INFORMATION FOR HANDBOOKS AND ATLASES MIN Y rannI 6 1913-~45. 28 ft. Cards (4" x 6") containing data on cultural treasures and indicat- ing their locations, their character, and the officials in charge. Several subseries relate to such classes of treasures as archives and private collections. Arranged alphabetically by name of country and thereunder by name of city. HANDBOOKS ON CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. 1913-1E5, 7 2 ft. Handbooks, prepared for the use of the Army Service Forces, con.. taming lists of and information concerning museums, monuments, libraries, archival establish,nents, and other cultural institutions Approved For Release 2002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B01194RO01300100008-9 Approved For Reba 2002/01/08: CIA-RDP93B01194R000100008-9. of European countries. Included are miscellaneous lists, drafts, abstracts from reference works, and notes used in the preparation of the handbooks. QUESTIONNAIRES SUBMIT ED BY EXPERTS. 19143..45. 2 in. Printed forms used by the American Council of Learned Societies` and filled in by scholars, indicating their knowledge of cultural treasures in various regions abroad and giving information on their travels and their private collections of research data. These forms were used to locate sources of information for the preparation of maps and handbooks (see entry 9 ). GENERAL CARTOGRAPHIC RECORDS. 1943-46. 1 ft. 1,1.89 items. During World War II a major activitiy of the Commission was the compilation of maps showing locations of areas or sites in enemy or enemy-occupied areas that were to be spared destruction, if possible. Base maps of provinces, regions, and sites were acquired; and tissue overlays were made on which numbers were placed indicating these areas or sites. Photocopies were then made of the base maps and accompanying overlays. Lists identifying each site or area shown were typed. The records consist of a set of instructions for the propara-. tion of maps, lists of maps prepared, and a set of. these photoprocessed maps and accompanying identification lists. In a few instances a base map with a manuscript overlay substitutes for a photocopy. The countries for which there are records are as follows: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corsica, Czechoslovakia, Dalmatia, Den- mark, France, Germany, Hungary, Indochina, Italy, Japan, Java, Korea, the Netherlands, Norwray; tho Philippine Islands, Rumania, Sardinia, Sicily, and Yugoslavia. Arranged by continent, -thereunder alphabeti?- cally by name of country, and thereunder alphabetically by name of city or province. GSA.-WASH DC 66-3999 Approved For Release 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100008-9