The Dresden art collection is considered to be one of the richest treasure chambers and one of the oldest museums in Europe. On Monday, burglars broke into the treasure chamber, the Green vault and have three diamond sets from the 18th century. Century stole, which is regarded as extremely valuable.

Nicholas Barta of Barta & Partner is an international broker for art insurance. It has to do with images that were painted by the children, with art , the dogs are gone, with Hotels, whose Safes were cracked, and sometimes with spectacular collapses like the one in Dresden.

Mr Barta, art seems to be under Criminal always sought-after.
Nikolaus Barta: That is also my impression. The Turner robbery in the Kunsthalle Schirn in Frankfurt, the Rubens and other Renaissance and Baroque paintings in Verona and, most recently, the gold coin from the Bode-Museum in Berlin. Alone in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, up to 2500 objects of art are stolen in a year. We estimate that the annual damage amounts to six to eight billion euros worldwide. Art theft ranks today, before the drug and human trafficking.

But stolen art is not so easy to sell?
In Europe, but in Asia, in Russia, China, South America as well. Our police has no access and a mafia boss in Nicaragua, it doesn’t matter, why is a Picasso on his wall. And in Dresden appears to have been stolen only jewelry. Diamonds can be crushing and further processing, because the Criminals have, it is of course even easier. But often it’s the art thieves, not the sale.

what is it, then?
Stolen art is used Organised crime as a security, or a medium of exchange. We also speak of the “Art-Napping”, in reference to Kidnapping, so of extortion. The IRA was, for example, as a big art thieves. She has robbed many museums in England, and so prisoners pressed. In such cases penetrate, however, almost never to the Public, no insurer wants to admit that he paid the ransom, sometimes the ban of the laws.

Nikolaus Barta founded in 1997, the company Barta & Partner, based in Vienna. (Photo: B&P)

it Would not be invaded yet simple a Bank?
not at All. Art is often located in churches, which are not at all protected. And also museums we refer to as the so-called soft targets. The Museum will be open, attract visitors, because anyone can go in and out. As you can poorly armed security guards in front of the door.

In Dresden, are to be got on the thieves through a window …
This reminds me of the theft of the Saliera, a few years ago in Vienna. This is a Golden Salt shaker from Cellini. The police could not imagine how this happened, but apparently, this was quite simple: here, Too, the perpetrator, a burglar alarm specialist, is joined, through a window. The art historical Museum in Vienna was renovated and upgraded. The man is so climb the scaffold is high and has jimmied with a simple knife, the security Rollo. The alarm system was turned off, because there were so many false alarms. He then simply passed on to the Saliera, after all, up to 50 million euros in value. Later, he was transferred over his prepaid cell phone and the vessel, under a tree found.

“At the end of the day, the chances are good that the stolen art turns up again.”

How often stolen art turns up again?
There is a kind of-Lost-tab, it works relatively well. Dealers, museums and auction houses are obliged to look in here if you want to buy something. Otherwise, you can theoretically be prosecuted as a receiver of stolen goods. It will, of course, if a picture was reported stolen. I would say: At the end of the day, the chances are good that the stolen art turns up again. It just takes often a long time, sometimes decades or even several generations. In the case of jewelry that is likely to be more difficult when he is smashed. Is irrevocably gone.

‘ll pay but hopefully the insurance?
Many Federal museums are not insured because the state assured himself, but Stolen themselves, through tax dollars, replaces. Loans are then often under state liability.

this Is also true for the Green vault in Dresden?
I don’t know if the jewelry was insured, I would not put your Hand in the fire for it.

Created: 25.11.2019, 15:12 PM