Nazi Academic Loot

DavidZahir · Mar 23, 2012

There's an excellent documentary called The Rape of Europa about the vast hordes of treasure stolen by the Third Reich and the continued efforts to this day about restoring such to their rightful owners. One that particularly grabbed my attention was the guy who goes meticulously researches things taken from now-destroyed synogogues to find someone to whom these items might rightfully be said to belong (especially the 'caps' of the Torah).

But I'm wondering about any papers that might have been seized by the Ahnenerbe the "archeological/historical" arm of the SS (kinda/sorta). There's this idea I'm working on that would involve something taken from an American archeologist after the fall of France. He died in custody (of natural causes) but someone grabbed his notes. Now I need somebody to have found them and arrange to have them sent to his family in the United States.

Any ideas on who this somebody might be?

Deleted member 42 · Mar 23, 2012

Dr. Henry Jones Sr.?

Bufty · Mar 23, 2012

I stand ready, willing, and able. :whip:

Snick · Mar 23, 2012

Blame Patricia K. Grimstead. She found a lot of stuff in attics, cellars, warehouses, etc.

Buffysquirrel · Mar 23, 2012

A lot depends on who took the notes and what they did with them. If they ended up in a university library, say, they could be found by someone doing research. This happened with a ms by Galen that was thought lost, recently. Someone ran across it in an archive and recognised it for what it was.

Say it's in someone's cellar or attic, it could be found by someone who inherits the house and wants to see what there is, someone who's doing building work, who's clearing out the building after a fire, who's demolishing the building. Lots of ways for a document to come to light.

MaryMumsy · Mar 23, 2012

Medievalist said:
Dr. Henry Jones Sr.?

It would have to be Henry Jones III.

MM

idempotent1729 · Mar 25, 2012

DavidZahir said:
There's an excellent documentary called The Rape of Europa about the vast hordes of treasure stolen by the Third Reich and the continued efforts to this day about restoring such to their rightful owners. One that particularly grabbed my attention was the guy who goes meticulously researches things taken from now-destroyed synogogues to find someone to whom these items might rightfully be said to belong (especially the 'caps' of the Torah).

But I'm wondering about any papers that might have been seized by the Ahnenerbe the "archeological/historical" arm of the SS (kinda/sorta). There's this idea I'm working on that would involve something taken from an American archeologist after the fall of France. He died in custody (of natural causes) but someone grabbed his notes. Now I need somebody to have found them and arrange to have them sent to his family in the United States.

Any ideas on who this somebody might be?

I vote for a librarian at the Freie Universitat Berlin. The library could be cleaning an obscure archive room and come across the papers. Or a person might bring papers to this librarian and ask what to do with them. As the offspring of two librarians I can attest that people often do this (bring random artefacts to librarians and ask for help on what to do with them). Somehow the descendant of a soldier who had stormed Hitler's bunker brought my father a drawing made by Hitler that his ancestor had pocketed, asking that my father do with it whatever was most appropriate. So it could also be that some person found the papers in his attic and came to the librarian for help.

DavidZahir · Mar 25, 2012

Very useful! Many thanks!

jaksen · Mar 25, 2012

Who often finds 'lost' stuff, like musical scores, letters, or pieces of a diary tucked in an old book, etc?

Students, working on a graduate or doctoral thesis.

Nazi Academic Loot

DavidZahir

Malkavian Primogen

Deleted member 42

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Snick

Buffysquirrel

MaryMumsy

the original blond bombshell

idempotent1729

DavidZahir

Malkavian Primogen

jaksen

Caped Codder