The cultural heritage stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris on October 19 is priceless: crowns, brooches and necklaces from the time of Napoleon III are pieces of French history.
The clues to the thieves who boldly plundered these French crown jewels are still cold. Investigators are examining links to an Eastern European stolen goods network that purchases art objects on behalf of wealthy collectors – or uses them as currency in the illegal trade.
Unlike precious metals and gems, it is difficult to sell.
Tim Carpenter, head of the art conservation organization Argus Cultural Property Consultancy, was the longtime head of the FBI’s Art Crimes Division. He told DW that “traditional artworks” like paintings or prints that are well-known are “difficult to monetize” and difficult to resell on the market.
The situation is different for precious metals and stones, which Carpenter says are “being targeted by thieves, especially in Europe.”
“Certainly they could melt down those materials,” he explained, adding that it was a “terrible loss of cultural heritage.”
However, in the case of the Louvre, Carpenter does not believe the loot will be destroyed: “These are very important pieces and my guess is that these criminals would want to put them together. They are too recognizable.”
But while the audacious Louvre heist is a shock, the heist is the latest in a long series of brazen art thefts.
Dresden 2019: a coup in the green vault
Two masked men enter the Dresden Royal Palace in Saxony, Germany, on November 25, 2019. Using an axe, they broke into display cases in the Green Vault Museum and stole 21 pieces of jewellery, including more than 4,000 diamonds worth approximately €113 million ($131.6 million).
Members of the Remo clan were behind the coup, a Berlin crime syndicate that had already attracted attention for spectacular robberies. Following confessions, parts of the loot were recovered in 2022, although many of the jewels are missing.
The case shows how clan structures have turned art theft into a professional business that is organized, precise – and ruthless. Art historian Ulli Seeger states that despite the difficulties in selling stolen goods, the theft of historic jewelery sets has become highly profitable.
“Internationally networked gangs are increasingly focusing on commodities that have high material value – gold, precious stones, coins,” Seeger said. “These are easier to sell than the art works that appear in every catalogue.”
However, the jewelry in particular must first be completely replaced, otherwise it can be immediately identified by its historical cut, the expert explained.
Berlin 2017: “Large Maple Leaf” from the Bode Museum.
Two years before the Dresden robbery, members of the Remo clan broke into Berlin’s Bode Museum through a window at night and stole a 100 kilogram gold coin, the “Big Maple Leaf”. Material value: approximately 3.75 million euros. The thieves were only interested in taking the gold and converting it into cash, so the Canadian coins were destroyed and melted down.
Paris 2010: Spider-Man climbs on Picasso
In 2010, Vjeren Tomic, known as “Spider-Man” for his climbing skills, climbed the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris. His achievement: five masterpieces by Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Braque and Léger – worth a total of about 100 million euros.
Tomic was captured but claimed he was acting on behalf of a collector. The paintings are still missing today – presumably destroyed to destroy the evidence.
Boston 1990: The biggest art theft ever
In March 1990, two men in police uniforms entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. They tied up the security guards and stole 13 works of art – including paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Degas. Price: Over $500 million.
The matter remains unresolved till date. Investigators suspect that the works are circulating in mafia circles as “underground securities”. The case is legendary – and the subject of several documentaries.
Who is behind this?
Art has unlimited appreciation potential and is difficult to explore. This can be a great currency for criminals.
Art theft continues to play an important role in organized crime, which has a high level of logistical expertise and well-established structures, particularly in Germany.
In Southern and Eastern Europe, art is used as a commodity in the drug and arms trade.
Of course, there are also lone offenders, particularly insiders such as security guards or employees who know the weak points in museum security systems.
And finally, although it is rare and often romanticized in Hollywood films, there may be private collectors around the world who simply want to own a work of art and will hire thieves to acquire it.
According to Interpol, more than $6 billion worth of art is stolen every year – only 10% is ever recovered.
The coup at the Louvre is another reminder that art is not only beautiful, but also vulnerable – and the black market in cultural goods is booming.
Edited by: Andreas Illmer