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Germany: Police arrest suspects in Dresden museum heist

  • November 17, 2020

Police in the German capital, Berlin, have arrested three people suspected of taking part in the theft of priceless treasures from a museum in the eastern city of Dresden last year, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

The three people arrested were said to be German citizens; prosecutors indicated they were confident of the suspects’ involvement, saying they were “strongly” suspected. 

Thieves broke into Dresden’s Grünes Gewölbe, known as the Green Vault in English, on November 25, 2019, stealing three priceless sets of 18th-century jewelry within minutes. They then fled in a car that they later torched.

The arrests came during a large-scale police raid of 18 properties, garages and vehicles, with a focus on the Berlin district of Neukölln. the prosecutors said. More than 1,600 police officers from across Germany were involved in the raid. Police said the operation could cause disruption of traffic in the entire city area.

Forensic police investigate the scene of a raid in Berlin (Hannibal Hanschke/REUTERS)

Police in Berlin arrested three suspects in the art heist during a morning raid on November 17

Prestigious collection

Item stolen from the Grünes Gewölbe

This 18th century diamond epaulet was among the items stolen

The museum, situated in Dresden Castle, houses one of Europe’s biggest treasure collections. It was founded between 1723 and 1729 by Augustus the Strong to publicly display his collection of treasures, making it one of the world’s oldest museums.

The museum, which is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, has some 3,000 pieces on display. It was damaged during World War II, and at the end of the war the collection was taken to the Soviet Union and not returned to Dresden until 1958.

The jewelry stolen during the heist included the famous 49-carat Dresden White Diamond.

Read more: Art theft: ‘There is always a risk for museums’ 

  • Dresden's Green Vault (picture-alliance/dpa/S. Kahnert)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    Breaking into one of the world’s oldest museums

    The Green Vault in Dresden’s Royal Palace is one of the most famous treasure chambers of Europe. Early in the morning of November 25, 2019, burglars broke into the museum and stole three sets of jewelry from the early 18th century. The works made up of diamond, ruby and emerald gems are seen as “priceless.” German newspaper Bild called it “probably the biggest art theft since World War II.”

  • Mona Lisa theft 1911 (picture alliance/Mary Evans Picture Library)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    When Mona Lisa’s smile disappeared

    The world’s most famous portrait, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” was stolen in 1911. A young Italian named Vincenzo Peruggia took the painting from the Louvre in Paris. Dressed as a member of the museum staff, he was able to hide the relatively small painting under his work coat. It reappeared in 1913 after an art dealer alerted the police.

  • Jacques III de Gheyn, Rembrandt (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    The world’s most frequently stolen painting

    Rembrandt’s portrait of “Jacques III de Gheyn” wasn’t stolen from Britain’s Dulwich Picture Gallery just once, but four times, namely in 1966, 1973, 1981 and 1986. That’s why it came to be nicknamed the “Takeaway Rembrandt.” Fortunately the painting has been recovered after each theft.

  • Johannes Vermeer, Concert (Gemeinfrei)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    Art robbery in Boston remains a mystery

    The burglary of 13 paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum stirred international attention in 1990. Two men disguised as policemen broke into the building and removed the paintings, among them Edouard Manet’s “Chez Tortoni” and Jan Vermeer’s “Concert” (pictured). The empty picture frames are still hanging on the walls.

  • Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam (picture-alliance/dpa/K. Van Weel)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    Spectacular Van Gogh theft

    In 1991, a man managed to lock himself into a bathroom in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam — unnoticed. With the help of a warden, he removed a total of 20 paintings, among them the Dutch painter’s “Self-Portrait with Easel.” However, police were able to recover the works from the getaway car just one hour later. The thieves were caught a few months later.

  • Drumlanrig Castle (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    Da Vinci disappeared for years

    “Madonna of the Yarnwinder” by Leonardo da Vinci, valued at €70 million ($76 million), was stolen from a Scottish castle in 2003. Two thieves who entered an exhibition as tourists overpowered the security guard at Drumlanrig Castle and fled with the precious artwork. It remained lost for years until it was discovered during a raid in Glasgow in 2007.

  • Norway Munch's The Scream and Madonna (picture-alliance/dpa/Munch Museum Oslo)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    Armed assault on the Munch Museum

    Two paintings by expressionist Edvard Munch, “The Scream” and “Madonna,” were stolen in Oslo in 2004. Two armed robbers invaded the Munch Museum and, witnessed by numerous visitors, ripped the paintings from the wall. Police were able to retrieve the two famous paintings. However, “The Scream” was damaged so badly during the incident that it could never be fully restored.

  • Frace Claude Monet, Poppy Field Near Vétheuil (picture-alliance/akg-images)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    Europe’s biggest art burglary

    In 2008, armed thieves pilfered four paintings amounting to a total value of 180 million Swiss francs (€156 million, $182 million) from the collection Bührle in Zurich. “The Boy in the Red Vest” by Paul Cézanne, “Ludovic Lepic and His Daughters” by Edgar Degas, “Blossoming Chestnut Branches” by Vincent van Gogh, and “Poppy Field Near Vétheuil” by Claude Monet (pictured) all resurfaced later on.

  • Big Maple Leaf coin (picture-alliance/dpa/F.May)

    The most spectacular art robberies in history

    Theft of a 100-kilo gold coin in Berlin

    In March 2017, a huge gold coin weighing 100 kilos was stolen from Berlin’s Bode Museum. Just its sheer material value alone amounts to four million dollars. It is believed that the thieves found their way into the building through a window. The “Big Maple Leaf” coin originated in Canada. It is 53 cm high and 3 cm thick. On the front side, it bears an image of Queen Elizabeth II.

    Author: Ines Eisele (ad)


tj/msh (dpa, AFP)

 

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-police-arrest-suspects-in-dresden-museum-heist/a-55623122?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom

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