'The Monuments Men' and the Nazis' Stolen Treasures with Dr. Finn Ballard

Join a historian as we explore the history of the American 'Monuments Men', tasked with retrieving the enormous cultural treasure trove plundered by the Nazis.

As of 1943, the MFAA (Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives) program was developed by the US military in a bid both to protect cultural artifacts from the ravages and war - and to regain and restitute what the Nazis had plundered. Around 400 soldiers, art historians, and curators - men and women - set about uncovering the painters, sculptures, tapestries, and altarpieces hidden in the bunkers and salt mines of occupied Europe.

In this seminar, we will uncover the true story behind the 2014 blockbuster 'The Monuments Men,' and shine a particular light on a rather unsung hero: the French curator Rose Valland, whose perspicacity and remarkable memory proved vital to the retrieval of the Nazis' stolen treasures.

Led by an expert on WWII history, Dr. Finn Ballard, this interactive seminar will entertain and fascinate. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of a wartime victory won off the battlefields.

Finn grew up in Northern Ireland before moving to England to study and later teach in the department of Film and Literature at the University of Warwick. He completed his doctoral study on German folklore and popular cinema in 2012, and has published extensively in the fields of Film Studies and Gender Studies. Since 2008, he has been living and guiding in Berlin. He now works as a historical advisor for television and film productions set in Berlin, particularly during the Weimar era or Third Reich. He is a journalist for the 'Siegessauele', Europe's foremost Queer magazine, and organises events at Berlin's English-language bookstore 'Another Country'.

This conversation is suitable for all ages

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.