THE ARCHIVE BY COUNTRY
Published reports from our archive, newest first.
A country may refer to the theft, recovery, return or legal proceedings. A case can be linked to more than one country.
89 reports · Page 1 / 5
On 12 November, Essen police appealed for witnesses to the theft of a bronze figure from a grave in the Bredeney district. The roughly life-size sculpture depicts a seated woman and was taken between 6 and 13 October. Police estimate its value at several thousand euros. Photo of the missing sculpture: Polizei Essen.
Soest district police announced on 12 November that a wooden wild boar sculpture had been stolen from a playground by Werl’s municipal forest between the afternoon of 21 October and the morning of 22 October. The sculpture weighs about 100 kg and is valued at about €1,500. Criminal police are investigating and seeking witnesses. Photo: Soest district police.
The Von der Heydt Museum announced that Max Slevogt’s Paradiesvögel (1900) had been restituted to Eduard Fuchs’s heirs. Wuppertal’s city council approved the return after provenance research concluded that the 1937 auction sale of the painting was a loss resulting from Nazi persecution. Image of the painting: Ketterer Kunst, lot 152.
Galerie Ludorff reported that Hans Arp’s bronze Sich aufrichtend (1962) disappeared from its booth at Art Cologne on 8 November 2026. The gallery filed a police complaint and appealed for information and photographs from visitors. Photo of the bronze: Galerie Ludorff / © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.
Police appealed for witnesses after Ernst Sauer’s bronze Der Liegende disappeared from Anne-Frank-Straße, probably overnight on 17–18 September. The sculpture weighs several hundred kilograms. Investigators are seeking information about its removal and whereabouts; no recovery or arrest is reported. Archive photo (2018): Wilhelm Zimmerling PAR / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/); unaltered original.
Der Prophet Elias auf dem goldenen Wagen has returned from a private US collection following a negotiated settlement funded by the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation. The announcement reunites Gotha’s five Rubens oil studies after more than 80 years. Der heilige Augustinus joins them on long-term loan, not as a transfer of ownership.
Duisburg police seek witnesses after a life-size bronze female sculpture was stolen from a family grave at Sternbuschweg cemetery between the evening of 2 November and the morning of 3 November 2026. An investigation is under way; no recovery or identified suspect is reported.
Berlin Police reported that an untitled abstract work by Elfi Frauendorf had been taken from an institution in Marzahn-Hellersdorf. The work measures 50 by 80 cm. The photograph was released with the appeal.
Berlin police appealed after a painting depicting golfers was taken in a burglary in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Photo: Berlin Police.
Berlin police sought Iris Ulbricht’s signed 2026 painting Murmel after it was stolen from a museum exhibition in a church in June. Photo: Berlin Police.
A bronze figure of Pine installed on Breite Straße was reported missing. A total reward of €1,000 was publicised for information. Its current availability has not been confirmed.
Berlin police sought an oil painting in a black frame taken from an office in Steglitz. Photo: Berlin Police.
Bavarian police reported raids in three countries on 15 October in an investigation into attempted organised art fraud. Twenty suspected forgeries were seized. A copy of Rembrandt's De Staalmeesters had allegedly been offered for 120 million Swiss francs, although the original is in the Rijksmuseum. Eleven people were under investigation; expert examinations were continuing, and no conviction was announced.
Berlin police appealed for information on two French-school oil paintings depicting the Marquis and Marquise de Belsunce, stolen in Charlottenburg. Photo: Berlin Police.
Berlin police returned two statues of Christ seized during a search. The police reported seizing 85 bronzes in the wider investigation and returning 14 sculptures by that date.
Context photograph · Shalom Europa, home of the Jewish community museum in Würzburg · Alrael / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized / redimensionnée Image source ↗
The Paris Museum of Jewish Art and History returned four Torah binders to the Jewish community museum in Würzburg. They were linked to synagogues in Würzburg and Kitzingen.
Bavarian police matched a recovered Sacred Heart sculpture to photographs from a church theft in 1999 and returned it to the parish. Photo of the recovery: Bavarian police, via BR24.
Police sought a bronze angel stolen from a gravesite at Rostock’s Neuer Friedhof between early February and early March 2025.
Berlin police sought an acrylic painting by Lunita July Dorn taken during a gallery opening in Charlottenburg. Photo: Berlin Police.
Berlin police issued an appeal after a bronze head of Ernst Thälmann by Ruthild Hahne was stolen in Niederschönhausen over the New Year period. Photo: Berlin Police.
Berlin police appealed for information after seven watercolours from the series Saison were taken from an exhibition at a hospital. Photo: Berlin Police.
