Mysterious vandals behind the German museum attacks

In several museums in Berlin at the beginning of this month at least 70 items were destroyed. According to the German public radio station Deutschlandfunk and the newspaper Die Zeit, this is one of the biggest attacks on artifacts and antiquities in the history of post-war Germany.

The attack took place on 3 October at the Museum Island where famous German museums are located, such as the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Pergamonmuseum and the Humboldt Forum under construction.

At least 70 objects were sprayed with an oily liquid, leaving visible stains on Egyptian sarcophagus, sculptures and paintings from the nineteenth century. It is not known which works of art are involved, nor whether they can be restored.

It is also unclear why the damage has been kept quiet for more than two weeks. It may have been in the interest of the investigation, says correspondent Judith of the Hulsbeek. The police have now approached visitors who were in the museums on 3 October. They got an e-mail asking if they saw anything suspicious.

Authorities are still looking for a motive. According to Deutschlandfunk, a well-known German conspiracy theorist in August and September sent a Telegram saying that the Pergamon Museum housed the “throne of Satan”.

That conspiracy thinker is Attila Hildmann, a former vegan Top Chef from Berlin. He is now the leader of the most aggressive part of the anti-COVID protesters.

Hildmann stated on a Telegram in August that the Pergamon Museum is an international centre of Satanism. The museum contains the Pergamon Altar, which is more than 2,000 years old. This is part of the Acropolis of Pergamon, a city of ancient times in present-day Turkey.

The question remains whether Hildmann’s Telegram messages have anything to do with the destruction.