Theft of Objects from British Museum Collection Sparks Investigation and Controversy

The prestigious British institution announced this Wednesday, August 16, the “very unusual” theft of objects from its collection.

“The administrators of the British Museum were extremely concerned to learn, this year, that objects from their collection had been stolen,” Georges Osborne, president of the British Museum, known for housing the Rosetta Stone or parts of the Parthenon Frieze, said in a statement. .

According to the institution, most of the “missing, stolen or damaged” objects are “small pieces” that were stored in warehouses. | Photo: AFP

According to Osborne, priority was given to “finding the stolen parts” and concrete actions were taken: “We called the police, we imposed emergency measures to strengthen security, an independent investigation was launched to find out what had happened and learn from it, and we use all the disciplinary powers at our disposal with the person we deem responsible.”

According to the institution, most of the “missing, stolen or damaged” objects are “small pieces” that were stored in warehouses. They had not recently been on public display and were being kept “primarily for research purposes”.

The museum has been in the eye of the hurricane because of the way some of its pieces got there, such as the friezes of the Parthenon in Athens. | Photo: AFP

Restitution Requests

“This is a highly unusual incident,” Hartwig Fischer, director of the museum, was quoted as saying in the statement.

“The museum apologizes for what happened, but now we have put an end to this and we are determined to bring order,” he added, recalling that it is an institution that belongs to the heritage of the islands.

The museum filed a lawsuit against the former employee involved in the thefts. | Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

As Fischer explained, the museum turned to outside experts to establish a “definitive list” of all missing, damaged or stolen pieces.

“This will allow us to deploy all possible efforts to find them,” he said.

The British Museum said it took legal action against the former employee. In addition to the independent investigation into the incident, the London Metropolitan Police’s economic crime unit also took up the case.

Founded in 1753, the British Museum is one of the most prestigious in the world and one of the most visited spaces in the United Kingdom.

Its collections of eight million works include Egyptian mummies, African sculptures and pottery from the Roman Empire.

The management of the museum expressed its willingness to reach an agreement with the Greek authorities, but the British Government is categorically opposed to returning the marbles (75 meters in total) taken from the Parthenon and which, according to the British Executive, were legally acquired by the diplomat Lord Elgin.

The law strictly regulates any transfer of pieces from the British Museum.

*With information from AFP.

2023-08-16 20:51:42
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