The former US Army captain Walter I. Farmer was stationed with the American Forces in Germany after WW II. In 1945, he worked hard to protect important European and German cultural heritage artifacts, such as paintings and sculptures, from being transported to the United States. Together with other officers of the U.S. Army, who took on this task, Farmer wrote the "Wiesbadener Manifest" which resulted in the artifacts remaining in Germany and they can still be seen in German museums today. In 1996, Farmer was awarded the "Bundesverdienstkreuz" for his outstanding work. Besides being a personal account, this autobiography presents an important document of present-day history. It is completed by an extensive list of documents and archive material.

Walter I. Farmer, the former US Army officer in the American occupation zone, earned special merits in 1945 regarding the preservation of important European cultural treasures for Germany and Europe when he prevented the strict order from Washington to remove valuable paintings, in particular from the collection of the Berlin Painting Gallery. With other "Officers for the Protection of Art" from the US Army stationed in Germany, he drafted the "Wiesbaden Manifest" in 1945, which lead to the fact that the treasures can still be admired in German museums, today. In 1996 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. In addition to the report on personal experiences, this autobiography is an important document of contemporary history. The book has an extensive appendix of documents and archives.