/ Modified may 1, 2010 2:24 a.m.

THE RAPE OF EUROPA

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. Tuesday, November 25th 5 & 10:00 p.m. PBS-World

Adolf Hitler presents Hermann Goering with The Falconer
Adolf Hitler presents Hermann Goering with The Falconer (1880), a painting by the 19th-century Austrian academic painter Hans Makart.

In a journey through seven countries, the film takes the audience into the violent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed and warfare that threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe. For 12 long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on a scale unprecedented in history, but heroic young art historians and curators from America and across Europe fought back with an extraordinary campaign to rescue and return the millions of lost, hidden and stolen treasures.

Captain James Rorimersafeguarding of art stolen from French Jews
At Schloss Neuschwanstein in southern Bavaria, Captain James Rorimer, who later became the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, supervises the safeguarding of art stolen from French Jews and stored during the war at the castle (April-May, 1945).

Today, more than 60 years later, the legacy of this tragic history continues to play out as families of looted collectors recover mstoleajor works of art, conservators repair battle damage and nations fight over the fate of ill-gotten spoils of war.

According to U.S. estimates, the Nazis stole one-fifth of all the known art works in Europe. While the Allies returned most of the displaced art in the decade following the war, much is still missing. Many masterpieces were destroyed or lost forever. Other works survived, but remain unidentified, traceable only with costly and difficult investigation.

See previews and find out more at pbs.org.

Watch it Tuesday, November 25th at 5 & 10:00 p.m. on PBS-World

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona