Berlin-Treptow : bronze sculpture stolen: art thief sentenced to a monetary penalty

An empty Pedestal was all that remained of the bronze sculpture with the title "float" left. In Treptow, in the kiefholz street, on the corner of high birker Weg she had confessed, but the figure was long stolen, as a local resident reported her Missing on the fourth of may of last year to the police. Three months later, the theft was discovered.

One of the alleged perpetrators should now be on the Wednesday before the district court of Tiergarten in the process. The charge is either theft in a particularly serious case, or receiving stolen property. The public Prosecutor assumes, that the 36-Year-old from Brandenburg, has stolen the sculpture, either by himself or in front of the sale of a previously unknown third party purchased, even though he knew of their origin.

Because Christian R. was lacking, however, adopted the judge a criminal command: 2800 euros, he should pay. An exception is the case of a non – René Allonge, head of the Department of art crimes at the criminal investigation Department, speaks from five to ten cases a year, in which works of art from the public space be stolen.

Mostly, it's not going to be the value of the art

Usually it is of value to the thieves, only the material, not the value of art, says the police Commissioner. And that's why the Work in the vast majority of cases, would not find back again on the art market. Instead, you would end up at scrap dealers, reports Allonge. Similar is also the "float" – 1966 by the East German artist Gertrud Classen created. 184,80 EUR to Christian R. from a scrap dealer for individual parts of the sculpture, which was installed in 1975. In the run-up to the figure it had been dismantled.

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order, The court fined for minor offences convicted man, at the request of the public Prosecutor a penalty of 140 daily rates of 20 euros. Against this judgment, the alleged art Philistine may appeal to – then there would be a re-appointment process.

The woman work of art was returned to the district. The figure should be rehabilitated, the judge said: "But the money is missing." One of the biggest problems, says Allonge, that the Absence of a work that strikes often to anyone. It must act quickly: "Experience has shown that the thieves put the stolen art." The incidents occur mainly at night, the offender apart to lift the Foundation from its anchor, Flex, bulky parts, but way to transport most of the work in its entirety from the crime scene, in order to dismantle it elsewhere.

The art is often sold on the next day to the scrap dealer

Often the art work is sold the following day to a scrap dealer. The frequency of cases depends on the metal price, says Allonge. Just the price is relatively far down – some of 5.13 euros currently for 100 grams of copper. And Bronze must be at least 60 per cent, of copper. The first way the police will lead, first of all, to the responsible parks and recreation Department, says Allonge, and then directly to various scrap dealers.

in this way, the "swimmer could be found". Most of the time the thieves of works of art from the public space of Eastern Europe, particularly Bulgaria would come, says Allonge.

more Than 290 works of art, monuments and fountains systems are there alone in the middle of it. It was a beautiful thing, says the police Commissioner. More sad it is when these Work just out of the picture. Finally, the people would build up references to the works. In addition to being sculptures, of which no mold exists, are irretrievably destroyed, once they have been sawn, says Allonge. Especially bad are the cases were in cemeteries.

The list of the missing works is a long one

The list of works that have disappeared since 1990 in the districts of Berlin is long. For example, is a bronze sculpture would be "The great" by the artist Siegfried Kropp, which was stolen in 2013 from the Park to the upper lake. Or Fritz Kühn's' "fire bowl", the one stolen in 2012 from the Central cemetery Friedrichsfelde. In the same year, the sculpture "Male Nude Tomski" by Sabina Grzimek from the Marzahner citizens Park had been stolen, and on-the-husemann place of "bear" by artist Birgit Horota missing for quite some time. Also in the Bürgerpark Pankow, you missed Works of art that stood there once, in the same way as in the Volkspark Prenzlauer Berg. The clearance rate of cases was in 2017, at around 40 per cent – around 50 Art thefts.

The departments spend annually considerable sums for the conservation of works of art. The average annual demand for care and entertainment, it is estimated by the house of representatives on € 30,000 per district.

the middle of, for example, has issued in the period from 2015 to 2017 a total of 501.300 euros for the restoration of monuments from the titles of the roads and the green area office. Measures to protect the works against theft.

Difficult to find a measure

This is unreasonably expensive, for example from the district authority of Treptow. After several attempts to steal sculptures from the people's Park in Friedrichshain, which was achieved in some works, also, have been in storage for some works of art in February 2014 in a maintenance depot: the "swimmer", the "Mädchenakt", "exercise" and "Great on one leg". Of other, particularly valuable Work, the castings are to be made, according to the Berlin house of representatives last year.

The police have used in some of the parks also strengthened patrol service, recalls Allonge. However, a work of art is then taken to another place in the town of stolen. It was difficult to find a measure that ensures the safety of really, says the police Commissioner.

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Berlin-Treptow bronze sculpture, miss: The next big thing

Constanze Nauhaus

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