Allied Looting in World War II

Looting has long been recognized as one of the crimes committed by the Third Reich during World War II, a crime which stripped economic wealth and artistic treasures from the populations the Nazis terrorized. This historical text reveals the shocking extent of looting by Allied forces, exploring their thievery against the Germans and others. It follows the journey of the Hungarian Crown Treasure from a muddy oil drum in Austria to Fort Knox and back to Hungary, and discusses numerous lost treasures ranging from priceless art works to rare manuscripts, including the earliest known printing by the Gutenberg press.

Kenneth D. Alford is an internationally known historical consultant for television productions that involve Nazi looting, and is the author of several books. Retired from a career in banking, he lives in Richmond, Virginia.

Kenneth D. Alford
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 288
Bibliographic Info: 26 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6053-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8014-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Foreword by Sidney D. Kirkpatrick      1
Introduction      3

Part I: STEALING A TROVE OF STAMPS
1. The 273rd Infantry Regiment      7
2. The Looting of Anton Wiede      13
3. The Investigation      19

Part II: A PASSION FOR LUCAS CRANACH PAINTINGS
4. Donovan Senter’s Early Days      33
5. The Counter Intelligence Corps      40
6. The Quest for Lucas Cranach Paintings      47
7. The Charade Continues      59
8. Unanswered Questions      71

Part III: PLUNDERING PRICELESS MANUSCRIPTS
9. The Capture of Bad Wildungen      79
10. Lieutenant Bud Berman      85
11. The Rare Book Dealer      91
12. The Papal Countess      96
13. Other Bad Wildungen Robberies      102

Part IV: THE SCHWARZBURG CASTLE
14. The Robbery      109
15. A Break in the Case      117
16. Churchill “Chuck” Jones Brazelton      122
17. The Nun and the Poster      135

Part V: VIGNETTES OF LOOTING
18. The Gravediggers Pillage Reutti, Germany      141
19. The U.N. Red Cross Robbery      146
20. The Rabbi’s Egyptian Ring      149
21. Frederick the Great’s Handwritten Manuscript      153
22. Berlin Central Archives      157
23. The Golden Book of Saarbrücken      162
24. The Priceless Mainz Psalter      166
25. Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man      170
26. Clara Elisabeth Hertling      180

Part VI: LOOTING FROM HUNGARY IN WORLD WAR II
27. Hungary      189
28. The Hungarian National Bank’s Gold and Silver Reserves      191
29. The Acquisition of the Hungarian Crown Treasure      201
30. The Gold Treasure of Kremsmünster      211
31. Cardinal Mindszenty      214
32. The Return of Saint Stephen’s Crown      221
33. The Hungarian Gold Train      227
34. The American Army Takes Custody      232
35. The General’s Kingdom      235
36. The End of the Gold Train Property      239

Appendix A: Anton Wiede’s Missing Stamps and Paintings      245
Appendix B: The Missing Kaltenbrunner Treasure      248
Appendix C: Thefts from the Weimar National Art Collections      251
Appendix D: Otto v. Falke’s Description of the Crown of Saint Stephen      254
Chapter Notes      259
Bibliography      269
Index      271

“carefully researched and engagingly told”—On Point.