By Anne Losensky
Art theft from the head of the ZDF capital studio: while Theo Koll (64) was in Paris, his painting warehouse in Berlin was emptied!
In court, the thief turns out to be an art philistine: he had sold antique family silver (Tiffany, 19th century) to be melted down. A painting turned up at an auction in the USA, many of which are still missing.
Tiergarten District Court. Accused: David S. (40) from Spandau. The driver admits he stole art from a warehouse in Tegel.
Theo Koll, head of the ZDF capital city studio in Berlin. He moderated “Frontal 21” and the “Auslandsjournal” and was a correspondent in Paris Photo: picture alliance/dpa
When Koll went to Paris for work in 2014, he stored a lot of valuables (monthly rent over 500 euros). “It was a terrible sight when I came back,” Koll remembers. “The hall was damp and drafty, everything was rummaged through and confused. Only gradually did it become clear how much was missing.”
Among the oil paintings that have disappeared to this day is a picture by Martin Borowski from the Leipzig School. “This loss hurts especially,” said the TV star. “It hung in the dining room for a long time. A total of 22 images are definitely missing. But I don’t know exactly, because a folder with purchase documents is gone.”
Valuable silver cutlery like this was stolen. Among the paintings stolen is a work by Adolf Erbslöh, who also painted “Girl with a Red Skirt”. Photo: Zoonar.com/Jürgen Wiesler
The thief wants to have sold all the paintings at a well-known Berlin art dealer for only 450 euros! Also a heavy case full of family-stamped Tiffany silverware.
The thief: “I took it to a refinery on Kudamm and sold it at a material value of 2,100 euros.” Koll: “Inconceivable that something like this could be melted!”
Were stolen from: Theo Koll (64) and his wife Franziska Castell (61) Photo: picture alliance / Geisler-Fotop
Koll’s wife Franziska Castell (61) finally tracked down the art thief like Miss Marple. “I researched on the Internet and found an original at an auction in the USA that my husband had bought at Sotheby’s!”
The police found two pictures from the art thief – he wanted to hang them over the sofa.
Verdict Wednesday.