Hitler's Museum
The secret history of Art Theft during Worl War II
non-contractual photo
Product Details :
2006. HDTV. A 2-hours documentary. Written and directed by Jan N. Lorenzen & Hannes Schuler. A coproduction Ottonia Media / Films à Trois for Arte / AVRO / TSR / VRT / YLE / History Canada…
Hitler's Museum will track down more specifically the famous Van Eyck altarpiece of Ghent, one of Belgium’s greatest art treasures. It was the jewel of the Fürher's dream-of-a-life museum, among masterpieces of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphaël, Bruegel or Rembrandt… Shortly after the Germans broke in, it was dismantled and sent to the Vatican where it was to be kept during the war. But Italy entered the war and the transport was caught in the middle of the battle lines and only barely escaped fire. The Vichy government only half-heartedly blocked its confiscation and the altarpiece was stolen and added to Hitler’s Linz Museum collection, to the creation of which the dictator have been dreaming up to his very last hours in his bunker. In turn, during the liberation, the altar was left for the American and Russian troops to dispute over. One of its pieces is still missing to this day…Coproducteur : www.ottonia.de