During the Second World War, German forces occupied much of Europe, from Norway in the north to the Spanish border in the south and from the west coast eastward to include parts of Russia. As the occupying force, they used foreign workers to do forced labor and took many of the natural resources from the various countries theyâd invaded. They also took something else. They organized the systematic looting of many of the continentâs treasures and even had military units known as Kunstschutz, whose sole task was to seize books, paintings, porcelain, religious artifacts and other art treasures.