MEDIA CONTACT: Kami Barrett
561-799-8813, kbarre10@fau.edu
JUPITER, FL (December --, 2007) - Florida Atlantic University’s Lifelong Learning Society will present a lecture by Robert M. Edsel, author of Rescuing Da Vinci and executive producer of the documentary film, The Rape of Europa, on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. at the John D. MacArthur Campus, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter.
Edsel’s lecture, “Is Art Worth a Life? Hitler, War and the Monuments Men,” is about a special multinational group of more than 350 men and women who served on frontline military units during World War II to ensure the preservation, protection and restitution of the world’s greatest artistic and cultural treasures. This band of unsung heroes, referred to as the “Monuments Men,” worked tirelessly to track down, identify and catalogue millions of priceless works of art and irreplaceable cultural artifacts that had been stolen by Hitler and the Nazis, including masterpieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Edsel, a successful business entrepreneur in the oil and gas industry turned modern day “Indiana Jones,” sold his company and moved to Europe with his family in 1996. While in Florence, he developed a passion for art and architecture, and a curiosity as to how monuments and great works of art survived the devastation of World War II. Edsel has dedicated the past six years to painstaking and far-reaching research to unravel the secrets of the Monuments Men. He is working to make the world aware of their unprecedented contributions, both during and after WWII, and to ensure that these unsung heroes receive appropriate recognition from both the United States government and the public. In addition to his book, Rescuing Da Vinci,Edselhas worked with members of Congress to pass a resolution honoring the “Monuments Men” and is the co-producer of the documentary film, The Rape of Europa, which was recently released in local theaters.
For more information regarding the lecture and ticket prices, contact the Lifelong Learning Society at 561-799-8867 or 561-799-8547.
-FAU-
The Lifelong Learning Society at FAU Jupiter is dedicated to enriching the lives of mature students by offering non-credit, university-level courses that are taught by highly qualified professors and distinguished guest lecturers.
