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The Monuments Men and Women Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to raise worldwide awareness about the service of the Monuments Men and Women (MFAA), honor them for their achievements, complete their unfinished mission of returning missing art to the rightful owners, and educating the public on the importance of preserving our shared cultural heritage.
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The Heroes
The Monuments Men and Women were a group of American and British men and women---museum curators, art historians, librarians, architects, even artists---responsible for preserving the artistic and cultural achievements of western civilization from the destruction of war and theft by the Nazis.
Discoveries & Returns:
Join the Hunt!
Despite the success of the Monuments Men and Women, hundreds of thousands of cultural objects remain missing. Many are in the United States. We continue their work by locating and returning these objects to their rightful owners. The assistance of the general public through tips and other information is vital to the success of our mission. If you have information about a work of art or other cultural item taken during World War II, please contact us.
Education
As part of our mission, we promote the appreciation of art and cultural heritage as an essential part of education. Our staff regularly provides assistance to students and educators and is working on creating more resources to assist a variety of related research.
The Archives
Our collection includes 230 artifacts, 6,850 archival documents, nearly 115,000 digital assets and over 1,600 books, transcripts, and rare publications. It has more than 220 hours of video and audio clips including interviews with 16 Monuments Men and Women.
Awards and Recognitions
The Foundation began operations on June 6, 2007, at a time when no one but a few scholars knew anything about the Monuments Men and Women. Today, “Monuments Men” is a ubiquitous term used all over the world to describe anybody whose efforts go towards the protection of cultural treasures. The Monuments Men and Women Foundation (then Monuments Men Foundation) is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the United States’ highest honor for work in the humanities. In 2015, United States Congress presented the Monuments Men and Women, of all 14 nations, with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the United States.
Raising Worldwide Awareness
The Movie
Based on the book by Robert Edsel, "The Monuments Men" movie was written by, directed and starred Academy Award Winner George Clooney, and an award-winning cast.
The TV Show
This exciting series chronicles one of the greatest heists in history and the present-day efforts to locate valuable objects and artwork stolen by the Nazis at the end of World War II and return them to their rightful owners.
The Documentary
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 the Second World War.
We need your support!
As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the support of the public to continue our important work of keeping the Monuments Men and Women's legacy alive.
Find out about all of the different ways you can help and be a part of our successful stories. Even small contributions make the difference!