Mysterious vandal attack on Berlin museums: 63 exhibits damaged

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Meanwhile, a police spokesman said on Thursday that several people had reported the crime, which had been committed at three museums on the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Berlin’s Museum Island.

The act of vandalism was committed on October 3, the 30th anniversary of German reunification, but the news came to light only this week, and it is not yet clear whether this date was chosen deliberately. The museums opened their doors to the public on October 3 for the first time since March, as they were closed for six months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

63 museum exhibits – both works of art and antiques – have been flooded with a colorless oily liquid, but it is not yet clear what is behind it or the possible motives of the vandals. The victims are both ancient Egyptian sarcophagi and stone sculptures, on which the liquid has left clearly visible stains.

“The diagnosis has been made, we are now starting individual therapy,” said Kristina Haake, deputy director general of the Berlin State Museums.

The total amount of damage to the New Museum, the Pergama Museum and the Old National Gallery has not yet been determined.

In a conversation with the DPA, Hake acknowledged that museums are considering enhanced security measures. When asked if there might be checks at the entrance to the Jewish Museum in Berlin, she replied that all options were being considered.

Hake added that he was not convinced by the statements made in the media about the possible connection of the incident with the conspiracy theory, the followers of which consider the Pergama Museum as a temple of Satanism.

Herman Parciger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, expressed his indignation at the acts of vandalism in a conversation with the broadcaster RBB, who said: “What is happening to our society?”