A bronze sculpture stolen from a cemetery in Schmilau, Germany, has been successfully recovered and returned to its original location after being discovered during a major art theft investigation in Berlin. The bronze figure, known as "The Reading Girl," was found among dozens of stolen artworks recovered by Berlin's State Criminal Police Office (LKA Berlin) as part of a comprehensive crackdown on cemetery art theft.
The sculpture, which depicts a young girl sitting on a stone while deeply absorbed in reading a book resting on her knees, was stolen in February from the grounds of St. Lorenz Chapel cemetery. The figure, wearing a long dress with her hair braided, was created in 1991 and is privately owned, having adorned a grave site on the chapel grounds. Art experts estimate the bronze sculpture's value at approximately 20,000 euros.
Christiane Füllner, a member of the church council and former mayor of Pogeez, took responsibility for retrieving the sculpture from Berlin authorities. Along with her husband Meinhard and the necessary authorization documents, she traveled to the LKA offices in Berlin to collect the recovered artwork. "The sculpture was so heavy that it broke the floor of our car's cargo area," Füllner reported, highlighting the substantial weight of the bronze piece.
The recovery came about through an unexpected turn of events when a Munich witness who was looking to purchase a similar sculpture became suspicious and contacted Berlin's State Criminal Police Office. This tip triggered an extensive investigation that led authorities to use telephone surveillance and issue public appeals for assistance. The comprehensive police operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 80 bronze sculptures, including numerous artistically crafted grave monuments.
Since 2018, criminal groups had been systematically stealing bronze sculptures from cemeteries throughout northern Germany, then selling these pieces as legitimate artworks with significant profit margins. The thieves deceived buyers by claiming the sculptures came from old cemeteries in former East German states and had been "rescued" from abandonment. In reality, these were recently stolen items taken from active burial sites. Prosecutors expect to begin 45 criminal proceedings against the suspected perpetrators at the Berlin Regional Court in the near future.
Pastor Sandler and the church council are now consulting with the sculpture's owners about future placement and security measures. Key decisions include whether to return the artwork to its original location, what security measures might be necessary, or whether a better protected site should be chosen. The successful return of this sculpture represents a rare positive outcome in what has been an ongoing series of cemetery thefts affecting communities across the region.
