Salt mines and castles: The discovery and restitution of looted European art

The author recounts his service with the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives officers after the European conflict, presenting a first-person account of locating, securing, and cataloging art looted during wartime. He describes field operations that recovered paintings, sculpture, and jewels from monasteries, salt mines, castles, and central collecting points, and traces the logistical, curatorial, and diplomatic efforts involved in identifying ownership and returning objects to rightful custodians. Chapters combine vivid recovery episodes, inventories of notable finds, and accounts of the administrative work and collaborations that shaped restitution policy and practice across several countries.