At the end of the Second World War, when Hermann Göring surrendered, he had with him a small panel by Memling that had come from Belgium. He gave it to an American soldier in exchange for his dress uniform, a few clean shirts and fresh underwear. Then it went missing and became a myth. Seventy-five years later, Geert Sels discovered its current location. Contrary to long-held belief, it is not in America, but in a private French collection.
Through his research into Nazi art, Sels attempts to shed light on paintings that were transferred from Belgium to Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring intended to establish a network of supermuseums there. Almost every Nazi leader also had their own art collection. Their appetite for art was insatiable. Art was transferred from all occupied territories to Linz, Dresden and Berlin. Sometimes it was stolen, but it was also often bought. Against all odds, the art market flourished.
