The Rape of Europa (book)

The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War, is a 1994 non-fiction book by Lynn H. Nicholas. It details the systematic theft, destruction, and protection of European cultural treasures during the Nazi era and World War II.

The book covers a broad geographical area, documenting the widespread looting undertaken by the Nazis and their collaborators across occupied Europe. It outlines the establishment of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR), a special task force dedicated to confiscating artworks, libraries, and other cultural objects from Jewish individuals, museums, and private collections.

Nicholas also chronicles the efforts of Allied forces and art professionals, known as "Monuments Men," to protect monuments and recover stolen art. She highlights their work in preserving culturally significant structures from destruction during combat and in identifying and restituting looted items after the war.

The Rape of Europa explores the motivations behind the Nazi art plunder, including personal enrichment, the ideological desire to create a "museum of the Führer" in Linz, Austria, and the destruction of what the Nazis deemed "degenerate art." It also examines the complex ethical and legal issues surrounding the ownership and repatriation of looted artworks, many of which remain unresolved to this day.

The book received critical acclaim for its comprehensive research, compelling narrative, and exploration of the human stories behind the art world's losses during the war. It served as the basis for a 2006 documentary film of the same name.