The Rape of Europa
That question was asked of hundreds of people during the Second World War and their
stories were told in the compelling documentary on PBS, The Rape of Europa. The movie was absolutely spellbinding and kept us glued to our seats - even if it was the living room sofa.
The film detailed the organized, systematic plunder of art under Hitler's Nazi machine, the
journey of 1/5 of all the artwork in Europe to Germany, and their recovery and loss. Here is an excerpt from the PBS synopsis of the film:
For twelve long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on a scale unprecedented in history.
THE RAPE OF EUROPA tells the epic story of the systematic theft, deliberate destruction
and miraculous survival of Europe’s art treasures during the Third Reich and World War II.
In a journey through seven countries, the film takes viewers into the violent whirlwind of
fanaticism, greed, and warfare that threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe.
Basilica, jonanamary via flickr /Artwork: designslinger]
Napoleon (someone Adolf Hitler admired by the way) performed his own systematic
plunder of art as his armies moved across Europe. The bronze horses, which stand above the entrance to St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, were one of the Little General's "acquisitions". Originally the sculptures came from the Hippodrome of Constantinople, and ironically ended up at St. Mark's after the Venetians stole them from the Byzantine empire in the 13th century. Napoleon took them to Paris where he installed them at the top of his Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Unlike a lot of the art stolen by the Germans and never returned, when Napoleon fell from power, the horses were returned to Venice and replicas were placed at the top of the arch.
If you haven't seen The Rape of Europa, check your PBS listings online and see if an air
date is coming up. Or, contact your local library, or DVD outlet, and see if they have a copy. I guess you could just buy it - just make sure you see it.
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