Portugal e a questão dos bens culturais deslocados durante a II Guerra Mundial

1º Vol.: Conjunturas, factos, protagonistas e o actual estado da arte. - XIV, 126 p ; 2º Vol.: Protagonistas, factos e suspeitas, a primeira abordagem. - X, 203 pDuring the conflict of World War II, in addition to calamitous human events reported more frequently, another story, equally tragic occurred in parallel, affecting not only individuals but before, all mankind and its history, we speak of the greater dispersion of cultural goods of which there’s memory. The causes of dispersion, but also the destruction of cultural property of avant-garde nature, served the implementation of aesthetic taste recommended by the Nazi regime that was essentially based on classical art aesthetics. As a result, thousands were those who were lost and those who are still missing. Portugal has declared itself as a neutral country early in the conflict, there for thousands of people and goods flocked in. These goods, the most various types, came from all parts of Europe and had as a preferred destination the Americas. Countless records survive today about the smuggling of all kinds of products. Among the goods entering and leaving the Portuguese border we could also find artistic and cultural ones. It is known, so the generic context, but very little is known about the origin and accurate artistic heritage destination that went through Portugal - either in the years of the conflict, or in succeeding years. There are many questions that remain, namely: all these goods headed to the Americas or some remained in Portugal, perhaps in our public collections? Who traded these goods in Portugal? Is there any relationship between the plundered art and cultural property imported into Portugal after the war, after acquired in the booming international market? Being a subject not widely discussed in Portugal, there are no known specialized studies or systematic documentation compilation, especially as the existing material is spread over several archives, not always catalogued or easily accessible. Thus, the present work was intended to make a first approach to the major theme, compiling, within the means and time limits available, for existing and accessible information on the dispersed cultural property during WWII and its possible link with Portuga