Overview
- Thieves sawed a bronze statue of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe from its plinth at Goethe-Gymnasium in Hamburg-Lurup, leaving only the feet behind.
- Police say the theft likely occurred between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, though the exact time has not been confirmed.
- Hamburg’s Kriminalpolizei has taken over the investigation and is assessing connections to other recent statue thefts.
- Earlier in December, a Gustav Seitz bronze was cut from its base at the Albrecht-Thaer-Gymnasium in Stellingen.
- The spate follows prior cases involving organized fencing, including a Berlin cache of about 85 bronzes now before a court, with bronze fetching roughly €5.80 to €8.45 per kilogram at scrap dealers.