This name is included on a list of Monuments Men and Women compiled by Capt. Edith A. Standen during her service in postwar Germany. No first name was provided on her list.

 

Busey served as a MFAA Officer for the Office of Military Government for Stadtkreis München. Working out of offices in the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), Busey conducted inspections of monuments within the Munich city center. In July 1945 he worked alongside Monuments Man Lt. Col. Daniel J. Kern during negotiations with Georg Lill, Director of the Bavarian Institute for Monuments and Fine Art, regarding the restoration of the city’s great triumphal arch, the Siegestor (“Victory Gate”). Modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the Arch of Constantine in Rome, the Siegestor suffered severe damage during the war. Following careful inspection, Busey and Kern concluded that its crumbled state posed a threat to traffic and pedestrians. The pair then devised a careful demolition plan. They disassembled the arch piece by piece, taking care to conserve all remaining statues, columns, and small stone fragments. This painstaking process ensured the rebuilding of the monument using as many of the original materials as possible.

 

Busey remained an involved participant in the salvage and restoration of Munich city monuments until at least September 1945.

 

The Foundation is very interested in locating someone by this name who may have served as a Monuments Man. If you have any information, please contact abottinelli@monumentsmenfoundation.org.