Dozens Of Artifacts Apparently Vandalized At Berlin’s Museums

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Friederike Seyfried, director of Antique Egyptian Department of the Neues Museum in Berlin, shows media a stain from liquid on the Sarcophagus of the prophet Ahmose on Wednesday.

Markus Schreiber/AP

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A stain on Sarcophagus of the prophet Ahmose inside the Egyptian Court of the Neues Museum after smeared with a liquid.

Markus Schreiber/AP

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Markus Schreiber/AP

A stain on Sarcophagus of the prophet Ahmose inside the Egyptian Court of the Neues Museum after smeared with a liquid.

Markus Schreiber/AP

Pfohl would not comment on press speculation about the possible involvement of conspiracy theorists. However, the weekly broadsheet Die Zeit and public radio broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, which broke the news together, were the first to draw a link between the vandalism and conspiracy theorists.

One of the conspiracy theorists who’s gathered a large following of coronavirus deniers, Attila Hildmann, has claimed a number of times on his Telegram channel that the Pergamon Museum is the center of a ‘global Satanism scene’ which, his followers allege, Chancellor Angela Merkel has been using for ‘human sacrifices,’ noting that she lives opposite the Museum.

Germany’s Federal Culture Minister, Monika Grütters, condemned the destruction but criticized Berlin’s state museums for lax security measures, particularly the lack of surveillance cameras. Three years ago, thieves stole a giant, 220 pound gold coin from the Bode Museum after entering through a staff room window. The coin is still missing.

Over the past few months, police have also been investigating damage to columns on the Museum Island, a UNESCO site and home to the Pergamon Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie and the Neues Museum, where the recent attack on artworks took place.

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• Berlin