Following the spectacular art heist at the Louvre in Paris last Sunday, museums across Bavaria are taking a critical look at their own security measures. The Campendonk Museum in Penzberg has emerged as a model of security, with its newer building designed to function like an impenetrable vault.
The brazen theft that shocked the art world involved four masked perpetrators who used a lift to gain access to Europe's most famous art institution. They broke into two display cases and made off with jewelry valued at an estimated 88 million euros, according to the latest reports. The incident has prompted museums worldwide to reassess their security protocols.
Annette Vogel, director of the Campendonk Museum in Penzberg, admits the Paris heist has given her pause for reflection. "Just before this happened, I had a conversation with our insurance broker," Vogel explains. "We were checking whether our facility meets current security requirements." The assessment proved challenging because the museum consists of two distinct parts: a new building and an older structure.
The newer section, constructed approximately ten years ago, represents the gold standard in museum security. "Our museum is essentially a twin building," Vogel emphasizes. "The new building functions practically like a vault and is considered super secure." This modern facility incorporates state-of-the-art security features designed to prevent the kind of break-in that occurred at the Louvre.
Due to the museum's multiple floors, extensive human supervision is required throughout the building. As Vogel notes, the insurance agent stressed a crucial point: "No video system can accomplish what security personnel achieve in a museum." Human oversight serves as the cornerstone of daytime security, while technical services and their direct connection to police provide nighttime protection.
The museum faces unique challenges when renovations become necessary, particularly for the older building. Vogel has developed a practical approach to this issue: "We won't be able to avoid partial closures. These could last one to two months to ensure everything remains secure." She acknowledges that while such closures are manageable for smaller institutions, major museums like the Louvre cannot simply shut down operations.
Reflecting on the Paris incident, Vogel expresses genuine concern about the broader implications. "I'm deeply sorry about what happened there. A piece of history has been irretrievably destroyed," she laments. The theft represents more than just a financial loss; it constitutes damage to humanity's cultural heritage.
The Bavarian museum landscape includes other significant institutions, such as the Buchheim Museum in Bernried, which houses an exceptionally broad spectrum of Expressionist art. However, that institution declined to comment on their security measures, with a spokesperson citing time constraints as the reason for not responding to inquiries.
Art theft is not limited to major metropolitan areas, as evidenced by a historical case in Schongau. More than 50 years ago, thieves broke into the city museum and stole several valuable items, including an executioner's sword, cavalry sabers, stabbing weapons from the 17th and 18th centuries, a sword, and a bayonet. The stolen goods likely never left the county, as they were discovered in 2021 following the death of a passionate weapons collector.
The collector himself had no connection to the original theft, according to investigations. The State Criminal Investigation Office found no evidence linking the deceased to any criminal activity. After exactly 50 years, the executioner's sword and other artifacts finally returned to the city museum, as requested by the collector's family. Despite efforts by criminal investigators and state authorities, the original robbery was never solved.
The security failure in Schongau highlighted the importance of reliable alarm systems. The museum's alarm system had been disabled at the time of the theft, giving the thieves easy access. According to former county heritage officer Helmut Schmidbauer, the system had been experiencing frequent false alarms caused by vibrations from passing trucks, leading to the decision to turn it off. This incident serves as a cautionary tale about the critical importance of maintaining functional security systems, even when they prove inconvenient.
