IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 48 

Recognizing the efforts and contributions of the members of the Monuments, 

Fine Arts, and Archives program under the Civil Affairs and Military 

Government Sections of the United States Armed Forces during and 

following World War II who were responsible for the preservation, protection, and restitution of artistic and cultural treasures in countries occupied by the Allied armies. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 31, 2007 

Ms. GRANGER (for herself, Ms. SLAUGHTER, and Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the efforts and contributions of the members 

of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program 

under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections 

of the United States Armed Forces during and following 

World War II who were responsible for the preservation, 

protection, and restitution of artistic and cultural treasures in countries occupied by the Allied armies. 

Whereas the United States Government established the 

American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of 

Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas in 1943 

to promote and coordinate the protection and salvage of 

works of art and cultural and historical monuments and 


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records in countries occupied by Allied armies during 

World War II; 

Whereas the American Commission for the Protection and 

Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War 

Areas is also known as the Roberts Commission, in honor 

of its chairman, Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts; 

Whereas, in connection with the establishment of the Roberts 

Commission, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives 

program (MFAA) was established under the Civil Affairs 

and Military Government Sections of the United States 

Armed Forces; 

Whereas the establishment of the Roberts Commission and 

the MFAA provided an example for other countries, 

working in conjunction with the United States, to develop 

similar programs, and more than 100 foreign MFAA personnel, representing at least seventeen countries, contributed to this international effort; 

Whereas the MFAA was comprised of both men and women, 

commissioned officers and civilians, who were appointed 

or volunteered to serve as representatives of the Roberts 

Commission and as the official guardians of some of the 

world’s greatest artistic and cultural treasures; 

Whereas members of the MFAA, called the ‘‘Monuments 

Men’’, often joined frontline military forces and some 

even lost their lives in combat during World War II; 

Whereas, during World War II and for years following the 

Allied victory, members of the MFAA worked tirelessly to 

locate, identify, catalogue, restore, and repatriate priceless works of art and irreplaceable cultural artifacts, including masterpieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, RemVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:22 Feb 02, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC48.IH HC48

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•HCON 48 IH 

brandt and Vermeer, that had been stolen or sequestered 

by the Axis powers; 

Whereas the heroic actions of the MFAA in saving priceless 

works of art and irreplaceable cultural artifacts for future generations cannot be overstated and set a moral 

precedent and established standards, practices, and procedures for the preservation, protection, and restitution 

of artistic and cultural treasures in future armed conflicts; 

Whereas members of the MFAA went on to become renowned 

directors and curators of preeminent international cultural institutions, including the National Gallery of Art, 

the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern 

Art, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Nelson-Atkins 

Museum of Art, as well as professors at institutions of 

higher education, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, 

New York University, Williams College, and Columbia 

University; 

Whereas other members of the MFAA were founders, presidents, and members of associations, such as the New 

York City Ballet, the American Association of Museums, 

the American Association of Museum Directors, the Archaeological Institute of America, the Society of Architectural Historians, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the National Endowment for the Humanities, 

and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as respected artists, architects, musicians, and archivists; and 

Whereas members of the MFAA have never been collectively 

honored for their service and contributions to humanity, 

and they are deserving of the utmost acknowledgment, 

gratitude, and recognition, in particular the 13 known 

Monuments Men who are still alive: Now, therefore, be it 


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1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) recognizes the men and women who served 

4 in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program 

5 (MFAA) under the Civil Affairs and Military Gov6 ernment Sections of the United States Armed 

7 Forces for their heroic role in the preservation, pro8 tection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, 

9 and other artifacts of inestimable cultural impor10 tance in Europe and Asia during and following 

11 World War II; 

12 (2) recognizes that without their dedication and 

13 service, many more of the world’s artistic and his14 toric treasures would have been destroyed or lost 

15 forever amidst the chaos and destruction of World 

16 War II; 

17 (3) acknowledges that the detailed catalogues, 

18 documentation, inventories, and photographs devel19 oped and compiled by MFAA personnel during and 

20 following World War II, have made, and continue to 

21 make, possible the restitution of stolen works of art 

22 to their rightful owners; and 

23 (4) commends and extols the members of the 

24 MFAA for establishing a precedent for action to pro25 tect cultural property in the event of armed conflict, 


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1 and by their action setting a standard not just for 

2 one country, but for people of all nations to acknowl3 edge and uphold. 

Æ 


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