Art thieves and ransoms - The murky world of stolen art | DW Documentary

Artwork, jewels: Every year, art thieves steal precious objects that are worth millions. But stolen art can rarely be re-sold. That’s why it’s often ransomed, instead. Investigators call this practice "artnapping”.
"Artnapping” is when museums, insurance companies or private owners are blackmailed into paying millions of euros in ransom for the safe return of their belongings.
These artworks can be hard for the authorities to track down. Take the case of the methodical thieves who robbed Dresden’s famous Green Vault museum: In November 2019, two burglars broke in to the Dresden Castle. They stole historical treasures and fled, long before the police arrived. More than 100 suspects have been arrested. But the royal jewels the thieves took from the glass displays that night? They’re still missing.
In 1994, two paintings by the British artist JMW Turner were stolen from the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt. After eight years and many detours, the pieces were returned to the Tate Gallery in London. But to get these prized possessions back, the museum had to make a deal with the robbers, paying five million euros in ransom. To this day, the people behind the crime remain unknown - and unpunished.
Boris Fuchsmann, on the other hand, has given up on ever finding his treasure again. The millionaire from Düsseldorf used to own one of the largest coins in the word. The "Big Maple Leaf” was made of pure gold and weighed 100 kilograms. The art collector loaned his coin, worth 3.7 million euros, to Berlin’s Bode Museum, where it was stolen in 2017. The robbers were found, but the coin is still missing: police suspect it was cut into pieces and melted down, as state investigators found gold dust on the thieves’ clothes.
These are among the world’s most spectacular cases. But they are probably only the tip of the iceberg, says Stefan Koldehoff, an art market expert and non-fiction writer specialized in art theft. The journalist believes the number of stolen artworks is far higher than official numbers show. After all, while prices on the art market have been skyrocketing for years, making looted artwork all the more valuable, the security systems at museums have grown completely outdated.
#documentary #dwdocumentary #artwork #artnapping #robbery
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[@mpatelart]

Stolen stuff getting stolen again. Beautiful history

[@NathansWargames]

Not much beats a new art theft documentary on a cold Monday night

[@NathansWargames]

@@iii___iii there's plenty of good ones around for art theft :)

[@JJONNYREPP]

The murky world of stolen art | DW Documentary 0203am 15.11.22 wow. no one said someone had stolen the queen's head... wow. i mean it has to be okayed with the security doesn't it, if yer gonna interact with such a heist? as for saxony.. the best!!!!!! they are the peoples who had colonized all of the western world and beyond prior to them being defined as Saxons. we, the saxons, have been on display since time immemorial and this has to stop!!!! we are not here to be gawped at. as for who had stolen the works - they will be grubby norman types who have no concept of respect or culture.

[@JJONNYREPP]

@Janitor Queen The murky world of stolen art | DW Documentary 1450pm 15.11.22 indeed it is. my "arrogance" was probably brought on by england winning T20 cricket and having a very superficial knowledge of the art world. that and watching folk ponce about as though they're part of the building trade all makes for a heady brew - and i take your critique as something to muse upon. cheers. p.s i have gotten over being disliked why cant you?

[@MoriMementa]

I'm glad they've recovered so much stolen culture, particularly the Van Gogh paintings. Every work of art is precious and art theft gets my hackles up.

[@lisaemery8871]

You don't have to be a big-time artist or art collector to be hurt by art theft. Big companies steal from people on deviant art and other platforms all the time, then slap that stolen art on phone cases or stickers as a "design". Happens so much more often than people think.

[@ingrid_mxx]

Yes! In fashion especially, like the Zara designers are literally trained to steal other designs and change like 5 things so they can legally say it's not a copy. 🤦🏼‍♀️Now with AI is even worse, as an artist myself, I kinda stopped posting my works 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@loril.mangold8160]

If the image is in the " Cloud" it CAN BE STOLEN

[@Qwijebo]

I wish someone would steal my art

[@JordanHarbingerShow]

Museum: "we don't have enough money for security cameras, locks, etc. sorry." Also Museum: "hey here's 5 million euros in cash on a table. can you please return the art you stole from us? There's even more where this came from."

[@ericswain4177]

It is all just shady money scams Illusions, Smoke and Mirrors.

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

A good old fashion heist. How nostalgic. 😎

[@bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477]

Hardly nostalgia, illicit art is VERY profitable today, I’d argue more profitable than sixty years ago. Furthermore, the war on terror allows for a proliferation of a wide variety of illicit objects, from recent art pieces to artifacts integral to a nation’s history.

[@bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477]

@Janitor Queen Picture this: America or Russia sends international peacekeepers to say, Syria. Government destabilizes because of inept counterterror practices, social control is lost. Who will guard the museums when they are being bombed? Who will protect tombs when the guards families have been killed? There is substantial money to be made from this proliferation of antiquities and art.

[@George.Andrews.]

Did they get away in a Mini with machine guns built in the back lights

[@arbaz79]

I just love watching art documentaries and there is only one channel on YT which keeps putting out high quality art documentaries consistently and that is the one and only "DW".Thank you DW for providing us with these great art documentaries.I will forever be grateful to you guys.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Pretty Woman ATM ATR

[@vickomen3697]

Most of the diamonds had been stolen or plundered by the monarchs too so...fair game.

[@MightyMouse11]

I thought art napping was taking naps at art museums after a day of gazing at art

[@bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477]

No, that’s fart trapping, curators actually dislike it because you are trapping your farts inside the porous canvas.

[@jwh0122]

1:09 25:27 Green Vault (Dresden), 2019 15:56 Schirn Kunsthalle (Frankfurt), 1994 29:11 Bodemuseum (Berlin), 2017 38:03 Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam), 2002 13:22 22:11 Art Loss Register

[@bhaskarchatterjee5249]

If the museum houses such priceless jewels directly in public view why isn’t it protected with anti theft systems and motion sensor alarms? Why aren’t the gaurds responsible enough? How was the glass so easily smashed?

[@sitcomsTV]

didn´t seem easy to me. it took many axes. but yes it could be bullet proof.

[@stevenbrown6277]

When I was art school (MCAD in Minneapolis) decades ago, even students had their art work stolen. Mine was so crappy nobody wanted it. : )

[@kenharris5390]

Before the work is displayed, the insurance company should inform the owner that they will only insure it if the building security meets their standard.

[@JordanHarbingerShow]

I'm sure they do, but you'd think "oh this MUSEUM that holds priceless art run by the state/govt should have decent security" -they're absolutely at fault and the owner should sue the shit out of the museum for the other half of the payment.

[@KazenoniKakuremi]

There's no way they knew that the window wasn't connected to the security system... Without insider info

[@jesc8827]

These are always insider jobs.

[@samanthab1923]

One of my favorite cases is Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardener heist

[@akirebara]

YES! That one is sooo good!

[@birdflipper]

Inside job!

[@samanthab1923]

@@birdflipper Love to hear more. Haven’t heard any updates since Whitey Bulger was caught. They were hoping he knew.

[@nba5130]

Send link ..

[@theorderofthebees7308]

Yes that’s a crazy case.

[@snicker576]

11:42 I was listening on headphones with my phone in my pocket, not watching. But I somehow knew that the "art" piece they were talking about was going to be a stupid looking POS, and I was COMPLETELY CORRECT 🤣🤣

[@the0point]

u no art good

[@Mart77]

I was watching it and once i saw then i was quite sure they were by Basquiat before the narrator said it

[@DaveTan65]

Basquiat is still alive. He is living with my cousin somewhere in Zanzibar.

[@perfectallycromulent]

yall keeping stuff worth hundreds of millions of euros without 24 hour armed guards, yeah, you're gonna get robbed. "priceless pieces of history" getting grabbed while the guards just call the cops, what's the point of having them? just put up a camera then. they are cheaper and just as effective as those guards.

[@werbnaright5012]

They don't want to pay people living wages to watch their stuff and then whine when it's stolen. More money than brains.

[@kovy689]

Excellent point

[@Jesus_Iced]

Americans really struggle to understand what it's like in Europe without the gun culture you guys are used to. You don't just deploy armed guards at the drop of a hat in Europe. You just can't do that.

[@robearle3976]

Where “y’all” from?….deep in the bush, no doubt…..

[@perfectallycromulent]

@@robearle3976 Long Island hasn't been "the bush" since the 1750s or so.

[@moorec1053]

100s of millions worth of art. Aren't there ALL KINDS of alarms and 24 hour security at these places.? If you break into a 7-11 store the alarm goes off.........

[@antr7493]

Depends how well funded the museum is

[@suedenim6590]

You can basically break EVERY story and documentary into "have not's and have yachts" and it's only gonna get worse

[@HenryDownes]

Underrated comment.

[@dw309]

Being a have not is no justification for raiding a historical artifact with cultural significance.

[@WaffleStomper69]

Like we all haven't stolen a little fine art here and there...

[@ARYANSES]

the only thing i ever stole was my neighbors persimmons they were so ripped and falling off the tree i just could not resist it

[@cheechalker8430]

I love a good art heist!

[@eloyyupanqui1936]

It is also the right time for the European museums to return the stolen art to South America and Africa.

[@monsieurVi]

Listen the podcast ‘Africa’s stolen objects: what happens after they return’ on The Conversation channel.

[@jotdog9357]

I'd like to point out the the Big Maple Leaf isn't the largest coin in the world; it's the 1 tonne Australian Gold Nugget minted by the Perth Mint!

[@ingridllinas5612]

Unbelievable. Criminals seem to study the museums or it is a great casualty that they find a window from where to get in. Despite cameras, they go after what they think is more lucrative and easier to sell. Jewels and Gold. I feel sad for that noble man who loan the largest gold coin, so people could see it. I particularly do not think that offering money is the best way to get back a piece for important or valuable that it might be. It encourages others to steel, thinking of getting a reward, instead of risking to be discovered easier trying to sell it in the market. They know how difficult it is to do it with so much information distributed all over the world. I guess it is necessary to use other security methods despite their costs. 5 million Euros were available to rescue the jewels, why not investing in more security devices or methods!

[@nourabouktif6167]

The man loan the coin Just to avoid tax

[@dw309]

That museum director should be sacked. What a clown.

[@debl9957]

Museum has probably billions of art and jewelry, and yet not one armed guard ready to respond? Poor planning.

[@janina8559]

Paying millions for stolen art basically from an open window is a WTF moment. What kind of Circus disguises itself as a Museum? Insurance shouldn’t cover any loss when they leave Art out begging take me please.

[@ronniedelahoussayechauvin6717]

I never seen nor heard of such happenings, but I'm personally not into art. I could never afford pieces of Art like that. I never knew there was even a buisness for art that great finacially out there. My God, I'm a cheap decorator. The theft sounds like insiders, so sad.

[@ZadenZane]

I'm not sure that Dresden White diamond is ever going to turn up. It's a large Golconda diamond and practically flawless. It could easily be recut and "disposed of"...

[@3000yearslater]

Given the fact that most of the art around the world has been stolen from other civilizations art just got stolen back

[@bruceshelton5938]

Very well done

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching and for the feedback!

[@b2617]

Imagine a three year old kids drawing could be worth 30 million... 😂

[@CrustyUgg]

There are gas stations with unbreakable glass windows to protect the person behind the counter but the museum didn't have that??

[@SoCalFreelance]

I have a difficult time understanding how those skinny crooks moved a 220lb object out of the museum to an awaiting car.

[@SoCalFreelance]

@@iii___iii 29:52

[@JohnJones-oy3md]

It's round. They rolled it.

[@truecinnamon]

Most real Artists have nothing to worry about. Except making some money.

[@quakerninja]

art napping is when you get so bored hearing people talk about art that you go to sleep

[@robertgiles9124]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....Royal Jewels....as if there's a real shortage of those. Sell them all off and feed the poor. You seen one diamond, you've seen them all.

[@matt-eu-poland]

Berlin sold artwork on an auction stolen from Poland in 1984 just a couple days ago. Polish ministry of culture has confirmed with auctioneers that the work was stolen. German auction house sold it anyways for some 310 000 euro. It's a disgrace really. The way it's handled by German side makes me think they never intended to return it. Hard for me to understand the way that auction house behaved.

[@bcanuck]

The first headline I saw says the sale was halted, so at least someone is doing the right thing.

[@deepak_arepalli]

IT is ironical that art thieves discussing about art thieves

[@user-xn5co6oe1s]

ALEKSANDAR cut in Amsterdam, Rembrant museum one picture, biggest maybe?, 1984 or 1987. I was there to don't see pictures.

[@StephiSensei26]

Very interesting, and yet I find it all a bit bizarre. First of all, Museums have much in common with Banks. They hold and contain things of value. It's all in one place, sort of like "One Stop Shopping" for criminals. That's the first mistake. The criminal knows exactly where to find the "goods". Everyone knows it. Secondly, if you go to a bank, they don't usually have "samples" on display behind glass (or bullet-proof lucite) to tempt the visitors. Everyone knows what money looks like. So, I believe it would behove museums to display "copies" of the items, and keep the originals out of sight at some other "secret" location. I mean, how many of us do little more than a casual perusal of what is actually in the case when we visit a museum? Even if we do go to see a particular item, a panting perhaps, or an Egyptian artifact, we pass by so much on our hurried path toward the desired item of interest. So, wouldn't copies do as well for display purposes? Unless for some serious reason, say study, or education, and it was absolutely necessary to see the original, an appointment could be made for that specific purpose, under supervision of course. Basically, thieves are a lazy lot. They want the money (we all do), but they don't want to have to anything to get it, or at least do as little as possible to get it. It's perfectly natural. We've al had that dream. So, for security reasons, if the "Objets d'Art" were in various places, it might, and I underline "might", dissuade the thieves from having to expend too much effort to procure their goals. I know from my own personal experience when I have to go shopping, that if I can get the things I'm looking for all in one place, I'd much rather shop there than have to drag myself from place to place, drive the car across town, park the car etc etc etc, to meet the same end. It's just human nature. We're a lazy lot!

[@w.urlitzer1869]

astonishing security fails

[@iamtimi3798]

11:31 that’s not actually Jean that’s the actor portraying him LOL wow

[@MrBentfilms]

the image of JMB was of the actor who was playing him in the biopic schnabel did and not the man himself! editor should have caught that one!

[@MrBentfilms]

11:34

[@justayoutuber1906]

"There is far too much art in the world and most of it should be destroyed." - some comedian

[@violinhunter2]

If you kept valuable violins in a museum, there would be a lot more missing violins out there but,... fiddle players need them and play them to make a living... and yet, a Van Gogh is worth far more than a Strad. 🙂

[@sitcomsTV]

two peaces of art! A strad is like a mistery. No one knows the secrets how they were made and its not possible to reproduce the sound they make. That's crafmanship!

[@violinhunter2]

@Beaudile 🙂

[@ericswain4177]

Hope these are all signs that "The Art Market Bubble is hedding to Burst" !

[@2011blueman]

Insurance only had to pay half of the value of the coin? What kind of kangaroo court decision is that? Either the insurance policy covered the coin or it didn't.

[@theorderofthebees7308]

Lol@ kangaroo court decision

[@sabihatanveer8494]

Interesting 😮

[@KeyDyer]

That picture of Basquiat isn’t even basquiat, it’s the actor from the movie 😂 OOPSSSS

[@junebanks4163]

Atleast they didn’t litter everyone before taking their treasures

[@Uncommonsensetoo]

11:14 Modern art is such a bizarre thing. When I saw this paining worth $40 M, I just had to laugh. Looks like something done by a 3 year old. Would not want it on my wall for anything. In fact, I'd rather have one of the elephant paintings. If you could spend $40 M on something like this, how about sending some millions to UNICEF and save a lot of children instead.

[@mihiec]

Would be nice if Germany would give Poland art pieces

[@birdflipper]

They stole them fair and square

[@hblee88]

the missing word is "back".

[@harperwelch5147]

Why are there interior secured rooms? Special collections should not flow room to room. Simple iron grating? No interior shutters?

[@cheddaromero]

11:32 you should’ve used an actual picture of Basquiat here

[@thea-listtv312]

1- may be inside job 2- the way the jewels are being described , adding precious value to them and so to raise higher price in the blackmarket or to fixed buyer/s 3- docus like this kind of encourage thievery of this type more

[@johnobrien8398]

These thieves are criminals they are very naughty and need to be told off by the police it’s so shocking to steal these nice things

[@benediktmorak4409]

- and of course we thought when we have these thick metal bars on the windows, we don't need an alarm system on top of it - . - penny wise - pound foolish -

[@DhyanAakash]

And what about the art and relics that are/were stolen from Asia and Africa by England and other countries which are displayed in Museums like British Museum? When are you returning them?

[@evelynramos445]

Return the art of a people

[@AlGreenLightThroughGlass]

No ones broken into my house and stolen the art work that I created - lucky I guess

[@CWROOFMASTER]

I live in your attic, your art is mine too

[@ericswain4177]

Need to look at the people in charge of the collection and their activities as well as the institution's financial status Etc... The crime may not be as straightforward as it seems.

[@anitachandra2030]

What kind of security do you have that 3 masked men can just steal valuable things by breaking the case with an axe literally an axe.

[@suedenim6590]

Not "literally an axe" when they needed a hydraulic press. Look up the meaning of "literally"

[@asiamosei9483]

If your going to speak about an artist, in this case Jean Michel Basquiat - at least use a photo of the REAL artist. That was an actor that portrayed him in a film.

[@branton.u]

saw that, i laughed so hard

[@vivette8944]

No burglar alarms!!!.

[@kunalffx]

Even the insurance companies have insurance.

[@user-tl8zp2vs3e]

38:12 who is ‘Vincent Van Go’ ? The thief who stole the two paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, received three years in prison, what a monumentally comical deterrent to other art thieves 🤦‍♂️

[@Jbeaming1]

Most of this stuff was most likely first stolen anyways, so what goes around comes around

[@darwinmonzingo9738]

you're going to need a automaton robot in each room and build a black cast iron cage around the building like they do pawn shops in Los Angeles! 😎

[@debramoss2267]

In Ancient Egypt liars were put to death, but those who stole were seen as a workforce of the gods, taking that which was not honoured and protected. They were even taxed.

[@ataerturk8725]

british museum calling anyone a thief is such a joke

[@MumzyTube]

Geesh! What's wrong with people? This is art? Selling for millions? 3 million for a canvas with orange paint and a brown streak in it? People really know how to waste money on things that are of no good to anyone.

[@birdflipper]

NFT's are the best examples of wasted money on worthless "art". If people will buy those, they'll buy anything!

[@antwainclarke3406]

You clearly weren't paying attention. These works are significant in their cultural and histrical heritage of the countries from which they originate. Additionally, they are fabulous stores of wealth since wealthy people often see them as hard-to-get items of prestige. What is too much money to us, is a fraction of their wealth, so why not?

[@birgitellefsen4773]

Amsterdam is not the “Dutch capital”, The Hague is.

[@EricK-ff2ff]

lol the security watched it happened and did nothing but call 911. if you charge me with guarding a treasure, pay me enough to fight for it.

[@donovanphillips4973]

Interesting

[@larsthorwald3338]

I'm familiar with "artnapping." Whenever I'm around art, I start napping. zzzzzzzzzzzz

[@wuuduu609]

5:00 what are security guards like this good for, to do nothing and just looking at cameras? Any grandma can do that for 5% of price.

[@lancesay]

paying security guards a minimum wage to watch billions of treasure in the whole building or twos. make a little or no common sense going in. these museums are not proacting rather than reacting after the works have been stolen. then enable these criminal families to return it by a rewarding; this is an endless circle. paying the security guards a little more would helps.

[@sverchkov]

спасибо

[@GK-op4oc]

Seems easier to forge new art than to steal it

[@mikee6571]

Grand Theft Auto 5 Online Heist Mission: Art Work

[@oldsenpai4337]

In usa, security guards would of either shot them or done nothing, depending on which state you live in

[@Jacob32905]

How could you sell those? Definitely not walking in to a pawn shop.

[@DaveTan65]

Well done art thieves!

[@MegaSnow121]

I really don’t understand the concept of rewarding thieves for art they stole. It really makes no sense. It only encourages more thefts. I understand that the art pieces are valuable and beloved pieces, yet, pay the thieves, and the thefts will continue or even increase. On the other hand: perhaps better security would be a great idea???

[@mm-cv9bn]

Or maybe an insurance job.?

[@henrietta1066]

Did the bank mark the money. So it can be be identified.

[@TheWolvesinthewoods]

Most people in the world are only going to see this art in a magazine or pictures anyway. So who really cares who steals what. It's often more amusing to look at how it was stolen or recovered, or faked than giving much care of its provenance.

[@AnujFalcon]

I just don't know if either one of the both party involved have any moral ground.

[@speakupriseup4549]

Modern art is garbage, they should be thanking the thieves for taking out the trash.

[@ethompson6694]

1:18 The power and wealth of WHAT and royalty?!

[@paulsaunders7634]

That’s crazy the gun culture in America makes it so different the theives and guards would be unloading on each other

[@kriszukowski4530]

Yeah, the whole thing was caused by an incompetence of the museums’ staff. As if the staff never heard of modern security measures like specialty sensors and cameras, security alarms, etc. Or, the staff was just too cheap and/or reckless (or both) to spend a few hundred thousand to protect treasuries that are worth millions.

[@davidgreen5994]

The staff work with what they have. Money doesn't grow in threes, most of those are state-run museums, so they have tight budgets, as most governments spend as much as possible on culture, as that has no relevance on them winning votes.

[@TheOriginalDeckBoy]

Ummm heard of motions sensor alarms lol

[@jolowasnt]

Oops wrong basquiat photo

[@holly52ful]

Well if they had more severe punishments then they would not readily steal!! It’s that simple!!

[@CrustyUgg]

No cameras bc of money? These ppl are so greedy ..

[@palletcolorato]

They don't allow security to intervene. LMFAO! Then what good are they? I guess they don't really value their collections as much as they should.

[@BrandonGates]

How was the collection not destroyed during the bombing of Dresden?

[@Tiberon098]

What about making facsimiles and putting the real ones away in a high-tech vault that no one can get into

[@4U2.]

germany stole most of POLAND's art in history !