Kenneth D. Alford

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Sacking Aladdin’s Cave: Plundering Göring’s Nazi War Trophie

Near the close of World War II, two hell-bent-for-leather American units moved relentlessly toward the village of Berchtesgaden, nestled in the Bavarian Alps. The much-decorated 101st Airborne Division had fought its way from Normandy, Bastogne and through much of Germany, and the illustrious 1269th Engineer Combat Battalion had followed suit, starting south at Marseilles. Both forces would converge on Hitler’s hideaway, and awaiting them was a dazzling treasure trove nefariously collected by none other than Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. The greedy, art-loving Nazi leader had accumulated a vast and dazzling array of paintings, precious jewels, and many other objets d’art – four trainloads’ worth. Following the age-old adage of "To the victor belong the spoils," the rendezvousing American soldiers helped themselves to the crème de la crème of the Nazi loot.