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The Rape Of Europa Analysis

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The Rape of Europa is a documentary that highlights the effects that World War II had on the art of Europe. Through the turmoil of the war, there are some glimpses of the human race exhibiting greatness, such as the story of the American monuments men preserving art. The art of Europe during the war played a key role in many aspects of the war, including Hitler’s attempt to eliminate what he considered “degenerate art”. Art defines the cultures they come from, and their destruction is a deep personal wound to their culture and humanity in general. Though World War II was awful in every respect, and it led to the destruction of many priceless works of art, there are some examples of beauty emerging form the chaos. One such example come from the work Dean Keller. Keller was one of many “monuments men” who were given the daunting task of the preservation of art during the war. The monuments men had little resources yet they prevailed in their efforts of protecting much of the art at risk during the war. The thought that the allies had the forethought to take earnest efforts to respect the history and culture that comes from these great European works of art, is a glimpse of the beauty that emerged during this time of turmoil. At the end of the war, Dean Keller led the Americans in returning the art they had gathered for protection. This was received by great crowds of emotional Florentine’s grateful for the return of their stolen history. This scene of compassion and gratitude

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