Introduction
The spoils of war issue resurfaced "with a vengeance" after the fall of Communism in the early 1990s. One of the most interesting forums where the topic was debated was an international newsletter, Spoils of War, which was published from 1995 to 2003. The newsletter included specific examples of restitution or recovery of cultural objects "displaced" during World War II as well as reports from various countries about restitution and repatriation efforts. Issues 1-8 (plus a special edition with some conference contributions) of Spoils of War can be accessed at the Lost Art website.
For information on World War II, see the tab for Nazi-Looted Objects.
Selected Books
Cultural Heritage, Ethics, and the Military by ISBN: 184383538XPublication Date: 2011Although largely motivated by the Iraq War, this edited collection asks the larger question of when it is ethical for cultural workers to cooperate with the military to protect cultural heritage. Contributors include museum curators, archaeologists, journalists, and military personnel. Includes a case study of Christian church officials under Hitler, a case study of looting in Iraq, archeology on a Native American reservation and a military base, an African perspective on protecting history during war.
The Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict by ISBN: 0521867975Publication Date: 2006"Charting in detail the evolution of the international rules on the protection of historic and artistic sites and objects from destruction and plunder in war, this 2006 book analyses in depth their many often-overlapping provisions. It serves as a comprehensive and balanced guide to a subject of increasing public profile, which will be of interest to academics, students and practitioners of international law and to all those concerned with preserving the cultural heritage." (Bowker/Syndetics)
Art as Plunder: The Ancient Origins of Debate about Cultural Property by ISBN: 0521872804Publication Date: 2008This book provides ancient historical context for current debates about war and cultural property. The focus of the book's analysis is theft of art in ancient Greek Sicily, Verres' trial, Roman collectors of art, and concludes with the British decision after Waterloo to repatriate Napoleon's stolen art to Italy.
Burning Books and Leveling Libraries: Extremist Violence and Cultural Destruction by ISBN: 0275990079Publication Date: 2006"Knuth reports on the destruction of libraries and books by extremists around the world during the 20th century and investigates some of the complex motivations behind these violent acts." (Book News)
Books on Fire : The Destruction of Libraries throughout history by ISBN: 1594771677Publication Date: 2007Books on Fire traces the history of this perpetual destruction from the burning of the great library of Alexandria (on three separate occasions) and the libraries of the Chinese Qing Dynasty to more modern catastrophic losses such as those witnessed in Nazi-occupied Europe and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The author examines the causes for these disasters, the treasures that have been lost, and where the surviving books, if any, have ended up. His investigation also reveals a new danger facing libraries today with the digitalization of books threatening both the existence of the physical paper book and the very idea of reading for free. (Descriptive content by Syndetics)
Napoleonic Looting
The horses of Saint Mark's: a story of triumph in Byzantium, Paris and Venice by ISBN: 0316861189Publication Date: 2004"After Napoleon triumphed over Venice in 1798, he demonstrated his strength by plundering the city-state's greatest treasures, including a set of four Greek or Roman gilded copper horses (their precise origins are not known) adorning St. Mark's loggia and sending them straight to Paris." (Publisher's Weekly) This book explores the history of yet another infamous item of cultural significance plundered by Napoleon during his reign over Europe.
Stealing the Mystic Lamb by ISBN: 1586488007Publication Date: 2010The story of the Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece, often referred to by its central panel, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. This often looted artwork was one of the most prized items plundered during the Napoleonic wars. The fourth chapter, "Thieves of Revolution and Empire" specifically delves into Napoleon's history with this infamous piece of art.
L'Arte Conquistata: spoliazioni napoleoniche dalle chiese della legazione di Urbino e PesaroISBN: 9788877920881Publication Date: 2003An Italian language book covering the Napoleonic plunder of Italy and its churches.
The Napoleonic Survey of Egypt by ISBN: 1859282482Publication Date: 2001-12-01"These splendid volumes make available selections of important text and illustrations from the monumental Description de L'Egypte (1809), a 37-volume record of the Napoleonic expedition to Egypt." (from Choice Review)
Music Collections - Music Collection of the Prussian State Library
The Second World War and subsequent changes to state boundaries resulted in significant dispersal and displacement of cultural property, including library collections, located in pre-war Poland and Germany. The former Polish eastern provinces became part of the Soviet Union, and the former German eastern and northern territories were incorporated into Poland and the Soviet Union. The music collection of the Prussian State Library in Berlin (Preußische Staatsbibliothek) was one of the most significant groups of materials discovered in the former German territories. It was one of many collections evacuated before the end of the war to various storage depots located in Eastern European lands occupied by the Nazis. The collection contained, among other things, 109 Mozart autographs, including treasures such as a complete manuscript of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), the last two acts of Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), one act of Così fan tutte, and 11 symphonies (including the ‘Jupiter’ Symphony); 22 Beethoven autographs (including Symphony no. 9 in D minor op. 125 without the choral finale); 25 autographs from the Bach collection; 112 autographs from the Cherubini collection; and others. Upon discovery, the Berlin Musicalia collection was transferred to Biblioteka Jagiellońska (the Jagiellonian University Library) in Kraków (Cracow), where its existence would not be revealed for several decades. There were other ‘former’ German music collections, including the collection of the music historian Philipp Spitta, which represented ‘the most prominent single component of the materials formerly of the Berlin Hochschule’, that became "victims," "last prisoners," or "cultural reparations" coming out of World War II (depending on different points of view), but the fate of the priceless music collection of the Prussian State Library is probably the most fascinating.
BOOKS
Paperchase: Mozart, Beethoven, Bach-- : the search for their lost music - Nigel Lewis
ISBN: 0241102359
Publication Date: 1981
One of the first books telling the story of manuscript music scores and autographs of the Prussian State Library and their "disappearance" after World War II.
Verlagert, verschollen, vernichtet…: das Schicksal der im 2. Weltkrieg ausgelagerten Bestände der Preussischen Staatsbibliothek - Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin-Preußischer Kulturbesitz [Red. und Gestaltung, Ralf Breslau].
ISBN: 3880530602
Publication Date: 1995
One of many German monographs devoted to the Second World War history of the Prussian State Library and its music collection.
Ostatni jeniec wielkiej wojny: Polacy i Niemcy po 1945 roku - Włodzimierz Kalicki
ISBN: 838929110X
Publication Date: 2002
An excellent account about the Prussian State Library music collection, described by the author as "the last prisoner of World War II," based to a large degree on Polish sources.
JOURNALS
Iraq
Antiquities under Siege by ISBN: 0759110999Publication Date: 2008"With detailed footnotes; appendices providing excerpts from international conventions and doctrines, working meeting recommendations, and technical information; and a substantial index, the volume is an extremely complete and useful reference. . . . The authors' recommendations are sound and based on first-hand experience." (Museum Anthropology, Spring 2010 )
Catastrophe!: The Looting and Destruction of Iraq's Past by ISBN: 1885923562Publication Date: 2008This edited collection published by the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago describes the state of the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad and chronicles the damage done to archaeological sites by illicit digging.
The Rape of Mesopotamia by ISBN: 0226729451Publication Date: 2009"In this autopsy of a cultural disaster, Rothfield breaks down the disaster into its discrete parts, using the looting as a perfect metaphor for the failures of planning and execution that have characterized the conflict thus far. ... It may not carry the bombast and thrill of other war accounts, but this book serves as a frightening cautionary tale." (Publishers Weekly)
Cultural Cleansing in Iraq by ISBN: 0745328121Publication Date: 2009This book places the damage of cultural property and archaeological sites in Iraq from the perspective of the American and Iraqi political context
The Looting of the Iraq Museum, Baghdad by ISBN: 0810958724Publication Date: 2005From the summary, "This exquisitely illustrated volume is a reconstruction in book form of one of the world's great museums, and it stands as the definitive single-volume history of the art and archaeology of ancient Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. The contributors to this book consist of a cadre of international archaeologists whose excavations helped piece together the rich tapestry of Mesopotamian life from earliest prehistory to the advent of Islam."
Web Resources
- UNESCO Armed Conflict and HeritageNo longer available. Part of a larger UNESCO site on protection of cultural property, this includes the text of important UN resolutions, an information kit, frequently asked questions, and a bibliography for further reading.
- Cultural Heritage Investigations, U.S. Immigration and CustomsThis page lists cultural heritage investigations that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been involved in. Includes one fact sheet about investigations of items stolen during WWII, and another about more recent thefts.