regarded as barbaric, even by the Russians, who were themselves deemed barbarians by Europeans.
"Napoleon was perhaps the greatest looter of all. Germany's, Spain's, and Italy's museums were stripped clean so the Louvre could be stocked full. After Waterloo, at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, France was ordered to return the stolen art. Some was, but a lot remained the property of France and can still be seen in Paris." Paul was impressed with how Grumer handled himself. Like a teacher in class. The group seemed fascinated by the information.
"Your President Lincoln issued an order during the American Civil War that called for the protection of Southern classical works of art, libraries, scientific collections, and precious instruments. A conference in Brussels in 1874 endorsed a similar proposal. Nicholas II, the Russian Tsar, proposed even more ambitious protections, which were approved at the Hague in 1907, but these codes proved of limited value during the two world wars following.
"Hitler completely ignored the Hague Convention and mimicked Napoleon. The Nazis created an entire administrative department that did nothing but steal. Hitler wanted to build a supershowcase-the F眉hrermuseum-to be the largest collection of art in the world. He intended to locate this museum in Linz, Austria, his birthplace. TheSonderauftrag Linz, Hitler called it. Special Mission Linz. It was to become the heart of the Third Reich, designed by Hitler himself."
Grumer paused a moment, seemingly allowing the information to be absorbed. "Plunder for Hitler, though, served another purpose. It demoralized the enemy, and this was especially true in Russia, where the Imperial palaces around Leningrad were decimated in full view of local townspeople. Not since the Goths and Vandals had Europe witnessed so spiteful an assault on human culture. Museums all over Germany were stocked full with stolen art, particularly the Berlin museums. It was in the waning days of the war, with the Russians and Americans close, that a trainload of this art was evacuated from Berlin south to the Harz Mountains. Here, in this region where we are right now."
The television sprang to life with a panning image of a mountain range. Grumer pointed a controller and paused the video on a forested scene.
"The Nazis loved hiding things underground. The Harz Mountains now surrounding us were used extensively, since they were the closest underground depositories to Berlin. Examples of what was found after the war proves this point. The German national treasury was hidden here along with over a million books, paintings of all descriptions, and tons of sculptures. But perhaps the strangest cache was found not far from here. An American team of soldiers reported finding a fresh brick wall, nearly two meters thick, five hundred meters into the mountain. It was removed, and a locked steel door waited on the other side."
Paul watched the partners' faces. They were riveted. He was, too.
"Inside, the Americans found four enormous caskets. One was decorated with a wreath and Nazi symbols, the name Adolf Hitler on the side. German regimental banners draped the other three coffins. A jeweled scepter and orb, two crowns, and swords were also found. The whole thing had a theatrical arrangement, like a shrine. Imagine what these soldiers thought. Here was the tomb of Hitler. But, alas, it wasn't. Instead the coffins contained the remains of Field Marshal von Hindenburg, Hindenburg's wife, Frederick the Great, and Frederick William I."
Grumer pointed the remote control and released the video. The color image shifted to the inside of the underground chamber. McKoy had traveled to the site earlier and remade the video from yesterday, an edited version to buy a little time with the partners. Grumer now used that video to explain the digging, the three transports, and the bodies. Fifty-six pairs of eyes were glued to the screen.
"Finding these trucks is most exciting. Obviously, something of great value was moved here. Trucks were a precious commodity, and to forfeit three in a mountain meant a lot was at stake. The five bodies only add to the mystery."
"What did you find inside the trucks?" came the first question from the audience. McKoy stepped to the front. "They're empty."
"Empty?" several asked at once.
"That's right. All three beds were bare." McKoy motioned to Grumer, who popped in another videotape.
"This is not unusual," Grumer said.
An image rematerialized, an area of the chamber intentionally not filmed on the first tape.
"This shows the other entrance to the chamber." Grumer pointed at the screen. "We hypothesize there may be another chamber past this point. That's where we will now