SUBRAMANIAN KRISHNAN MANI
Why, amongst the many horrors of war, most particularly the great suffering and loss of life, should humanity care about the fate of objects and buildings? In fact, the argument for protecting cultural property in wartime has both ethical and practical foundations. Museum conservator and Monument Man George Stout wrote in 1942:“ As soldiers of the United Nations fight their way into lands once conquered and held by the enemy, the governments of the United Nations will encounter manifold problems … In areas torn by bombardment and fire are monuments cherished by the people of those country sides or towns: churches, shrines, statues, pictures, many kinds of works. … To safeguard these things will not affect the course of battles, but it will affect the relations of invading armies with those peoples and [ their ] governments …. To safeguard these things will show respect for the beliefs and customs of all men and will bear witness that these things belong not only to a particular people but also to the heritage of mankind” 31.
Stout explains the ethical importance of respecting cultural property.“ We should not protect ancient manuscripts and statues simply because they are beautiful or historic buildings of worship because they serve as a gathering place for the faithful; we must understand them to be part of the culture and history of a people. In a time in which Hitler was attempting to destroy a people and conquer many cultures, to show respect for the cultures and the symbols of others was to fight for the liberation of Europe in another, meaningful way. What’ s more, these objects do not belong solely to the people who cherish them” 32. Stout argues that they also belong to“ the heritage of mankind.” This recognition that the symbols of one civilization are also part of the history of all mankind is an idea that has been further embraced and recognized post-World War II and has become an integral part of the ethical argument for protecting culture in conflict.
31
Edsel R. M. and Witter B., Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, Arrow Books, the Random House Group, London, 2010, p. 23. 32 Ibid.
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