An attack carried out by unknown perpetrators who targeted and smeared an oily substance on 70 artifacts in the Museum Island located in Berlin has left authorities and art lovers mystified. The attack occurred on October 3, and art experts around the world are concerned about why it took the police two weeks to release details of the incident. The authorities called the museum attack the biggest in Germany since the Second World War.
The Museum Island of Berlin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of five well-known museums in Berlin. The Pergamon Museum was not spared during the attack which happened on German Unity Day. Authorities are connecting the attack to a conspiracy theorist, Attila Hildmann, because of the day on which it was carried out. Hildmann has been very vocal about his belief that the Pergamon Museum houses what he and some other conspiracy theorists call the “Throne of Satan”. The Pergamon Altar was erected in the second century BC by King Eumenes II.
The Criminal Police Agency in Berlin revealed the details of the attack publicly on October 20 – 17 days after its occurrence on October 3. It is still unclear why the attack on the artifacts was not publicized immediately. Die Zeit magazine and Deutschlandfunk radio caught wind of the attack and questioned local police officers about the attack before they revealed the details on Tuesday. Other museums were also not alerted about a possible attack on their artifacts. The perpetrator smeared an oily substance on priceless ancient stone sculptures, Egyptian Sarcophagus, and 19th-century paintings.
Investigators revealed that they have sent emails to people who visited the museums on October 3 asking for any information they might have about the attack. They also revealed to reporters that the investigation of the attack started immediately, but that details had to be kept a secret to aid investigations.
“The details were not released to the public for strategic reasons,” a spokesperson revealed.
The substance smeared, though not corrosive caused significant damage to the artifacts. A worker in one of the affected museums revealed that the damage to some of the artifacts was negligible. The anonymous worker confirmed that they had to use a torch before they could see the substance on some of the artifacts. Reports state that a 3D exhibit of the genuine Pergamon Altar as well as a 9th Century BC sculpture was attacked. The Neues Museum, which houses a bust of Nefertiti, an Egyptian Pharaoh, was also attacked.
This is not the first attack on Berlin museums. In 2017, the Bode Museum in Berlin was attacked and a colossal gold coin, the Big Maple Leaf Coin worth around $4 million (£ 3.3 m) was taken. The perpetrators, two cousins, and a security officer at the museum, were arrested and jailed for the theft though the police could not recover the coin.
There have been reports linking Hildmann to the attack following his social media posts where he stipulated theories about the alleged nighttime activities of Satanists on the Pergamon Altar. The conspiracy theorist has led anti-COVID-19 restriction rallies that have caused several conspiracy theories around Berlin. Hildmann stated that the altar is “the center of Satanists and Corona criminals from all over the world.”
Source: foxnews.com
