Books Were Stolen from Poland,
German Auction House Confirms
The Reiss and Son auction house in Germany confirmed last week that a 15th-century atlas and 10 other rare books due to be sold at auction October 20: were stolen from the Jagiellonian Library in Krakow, Poland. The books had been confiscated by German authorities to allow Polish officials to examine them.
The Associated Press reported October 13 that Polish and German officials concurred with what Polish experts, working with German prosecutors, had suspected all along, despite the auction house’s belief that the books were obtained legitimately. Library records, descriptions, microfilm, and copies were used to identify the works, said Zbigniew Pietrzyk, director of the library’s historical collection.
Among the stolen treasures is a copy of Ptolemy’s Cosmografia, published in 1483 and valued at nearly $670,000. AP said it was unclear how the books had left the library, but they are among 51 reported missing last April. Prosecutors said they do not plan to file charges against the auction house.
Posted October 18, 1999.
|
