National Post Staff
Netherlands war museums have been hit by teams of raiders bent on stealing their Nazi artifacts, leading a number to beef up security
Netherlands war museums have been hit by teams of raiders bent on stealing their Nazi artifacts, leading a number to beef up security
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© Provided by National Post An undated picture shows German Nazi Chancellor Adolf Hitler attending a rally with high rank Nazi officials.
The Guardian reports that organized thieves are moving in on Dutch institutions that house Waffen-SS gear and other memorabilia linked to the Adolf Hitler regime — gear which appears to be in increasing demand worldwide. No arrests have been made over any of the raids.
In recent weeks an overnight burglary at the Oorlogsmuseum in Ossendrecht saw a trove of SS equipment taken, with one pilfered rifle worth almost $80,000. Jan de Jonge, the museum owner, told the Guardian:
“They drilled holes in the door to get the handle down from the inside. I didn’t hear anything while I was sleeping on the other side of the wall.
“SS uniforms, daggers, helmets, emblems, caps, parachutes, firearms, binoculars, you name it. There’s nothing left. The firearm is very rare, but I was able to display it in this museum.
He said the robbers had a target country in mind when they broke in.
“(It was all) German stuff, they didn’t take anything from the allies,” he said. “A French corner, English, Canadian: all intact. German material, especially clothing, is rare.”
“They took items that can be traded internationally. The collection was private property and not insured. At least 15 dressed mannequins with military uniforms were taken.”
Robbers targeted museums in a number of other Dutch cities, with museums moving, as a result, to take famous artefacts out of public view. In Loon op Zand, the local 1940-1945 War Museum put in a better security door, and took away cutlery once used by Hitler and Heinrich Himmler.
“Yesterday I took stuff from the Hitler Youth, and uniforms of the SS are also being removed,” Frans van Venrooij, owner of the museum, told the Guardian .
John Meulenbroeks of Hooge Mierde’s Museum De Bewogen Jaren, told the Guardian: “It seems like this is on request. Maybe (the items) are already with a collector who is wealthy.”
In August, the Guardian reports, some $2.3 million worth of items were robbed from Beek’s Eyewitness Museum. The men knew what they were after, the owner said; after the door was rammed in by a team of six, they made their way to certain artefacts, cutting away glass to get at the riches. Another museum in Limburg was also targeted.
“The collection consists only of original pieces and a number of masterpieces that are very rare and precious,” Wim Seelen said. “The only thing I can come up with is that someone ordered it. Many of the stolen items are so unique that you cannot sell them. Our world is a small one. As soon as something emerges from Beek or Ossendrecht, it will be immediately known.”
The Guardian reports that organized thieves are moving in on Dutch institutions that house Waffen-SS gear and other memorabilia linked to the Adolf Hitler regime — gear which appears to be in increasing demand worldwide. No arrests have been made over any of the raids.
In recent weeks an overnight burglary at the Oorlogsmuseum in Ossendrecht saw a trove of SS equipment taken, with one pilfered rifle worth almost $80,000. Jan de Jonge, the museum owner, told the Guardian:
“They drilled holes in the door to get the handle down from the inside. I didn’t hear anything while I was sleeping on the other side of the wall.
“SS uniforms, daggers, helmets, emblems, caps, parachutes, firearms, binoculars, you name it. There’s nothing left. The firearm is very rare, but I was able to display it in this museum.
He said the robbers had a target country in mind when they broke in.
“(It was all) German stuff, they didn’t take anything from the allies,” he said. “A French corner, English, Canadian: all intact. German material, especially clothing, is rare.”
“They took items that can be traded internationally. The collection was private property and not insured. At least 15 dressed mannequins with military uniforms were taken.”
Robbers targeted museums in a number of other Dutch cities, with museums moving, as a result, to take famous artefacts out of public view. In Loon op Zand, the local 1940-1945 War Museum put in a better security door, and took away cutlery once used by Hitler and Heinrich Himmler.
“Yesterday I took stuff from the Hitler Youth, and uniforms of the SS are also being removed,” Frans van Venrooij, owner of the museum, told the Guardian .
John Meulenbroeks of Hooge Mierde’s Museum De Bewogen Jaren, told the Guardian: “It seems like this is on request. Maybe (the items) are already with a collector who is wealthy.”
In August, the Guardian reports, some $2.3 million worth of items were robbed from Beek’s Eyewitness Museum. The men knew what they were after, the owner said; after the door was rammed in by a team of six, they made their way to certain artefacts, cutting away glass to get at the riches. Another museum in Limburg was also targeted.
“The collection consists only of original pieces and a number of masterpieces that are very rare and precious,” Wim Seelen said. “The only thing I can come up with is that someone ordered it. Many of the stolen items are so unique that you cannot sell them. Our world is a small one. As soon as something emerges from Beek or Ossendrecht, it will be immediately known.”
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