Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

CRIME

Art lover stole sculptures worth €52,000

A man from Salzburg who is serving a prison sentence for property offences is also an art thief, police have discovered.

Published: 25 June 2014 15:12 CEST
Art lover stole sculptures worth €52,000
Residenz Square, Salzburg. Photo: APA/Helmut Fohringer

The 50-year-old stole six bronze sculptures over the past five years, worth a total of €52,000. His motive was a love of art – he didn't sell them but put them on display in his flat.

On Easter Monday the man was on day release from prison and went to an art fair in the Salzburg Residenz Palace. Whilst he was there he stole a sculpture worth €8,000 from an Upper Austrian art dealer.

Police were able to identify the thief from surveillance camera footage from the art fair – and realised he had a criminal record. 

When the man was questioned he confessed to having stolen the sculpture and showed police the rest of his collection. 

None of the sculptures have been damaged, and they will be returned to their owners. The man said he had taken them because he “has a great interest in art, architecture, and interior design”.

His method for stealing the art was always the same – when he wasn’t being watched he would cover the sculpture with his jacket, and then pick it up and put it under his arm, before taking it back to his apartment where he displayed it on a special stone base he had made for the purpose.

He has been serving his current prison sentence since November 2013 and will now be tried for commercial fraud. His right to day release has been revoked.

 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

CRIME

Where in Austria is your bike most likely to be stolen?

Austria promotes green transport modes in its cities, offering plenty of bike paths and spots for cyclists to park - but bike theft is on the rise.

Published: 4 April 2024 13:48 CEST
Where in Austria is your bike most likely to be stolen?

The number of bicycle thefts in Austria rose last year for the first time since 2014 by ten percent to 18,566, according to the mobility organisation VCÖ.

Only in Vienna were fewer bicycles stolen in the previous year than in the year before that, and 60 percent of bicycle thefts occurred in the state capitals, the organisation added, citing data from the ministry of interior.

In relation to the population, Linz was the hotspot for bicycle thefts; according to the VCÖ, 63 bicycles were stolen per 10,000 inhabitants in Upper Austria’s capital. It was followed by the cities of Salzburg and Klagenfurt, with 52 and 49 bicycle thefts per 10,000 people, respectively.

READ ALSO: Which crimes are on the rise in Austria?

“Bicycles are also a popular means of accessing public transport. Secure and sufficient bicycle parking spaces are needed at train stations, subway stations and, in particular, at bus stops in the regions,” said VCÖ spokesperson Christian Gratzer. 

The organisation calls for secure parking spaces especially in highly frequented locations such as leisure facilities, shopping streets, sports facilities, universities and schools. 

Where are the thefts taking place?

In total, there were 18,566 bicycle thefts registered in Austria in 2023, an increase of 10.4 percent compared to the year before. Here are the numbers for each state:

  • Vienna: 6,328 (down 6.7 percent)
  • Lower Austria: 2,747 (up 28.1 percent)
  • Upper Austria: 2,682 (up 27.2 percent)
  • Salzburg: 1,284 (up 4.6 percent)
  • Tyrol: 1,254 (up 4.2 percent)
  • Styria: 1,908 (up 4.7 percent)
  • Carinthia: 897 (up 11.0 percent)
  • Vorarlberg: 984 (up 141.2 percent)
  • Burgenland: 482 (up 49.2 percent)

The numbers in the capitals are related to population size.

  • Linz: 1,328 (63 bicycle thefts / 10,000 inhabitants)
  • Salzburg City: 813 (52 bicycle thefts / 10,000 inhabitants)
  • Klagenfurt: 510 (49 bicycle thefts / 10,000 inhabitants)
  • Innsbruck: 622 (47 bicycle thefts / 10,000 inhabitants)
  • Graz: 1,176 (39 bicycle thefts / 10,000 inhabitants)
  • Vienna: 6,328 (32 bicycle thefts / 10,000 inhabitants)
  • St. Pölten: 180 (31 bicycle thefts / 10,000 inhabitants)
  • Eisenstadt: 30 (19 bicycle thefts / 10,000 inhabitants)
  • Bregenz district: 331 bicycle thefts (24 bicycle thefts / 10,000 population)

READ ALSO: Which parts of Austria have the highest crime rates?

How can you minimise risks?

Bike theft is a public issue, and governments are responsible for making the cities and states safer for cyclists. But you can also minimise the risks of getting your bike stolen, according to the VCÖ.

The organisation highlights the importance of always locking your parked bike, even if you only go into a store briefly. When locking up, ensure the frame and lock are attached to a bicycle bracket.

“If only the front wheel is attached to the bike stand, there is a risk that the bike will be removed and the rest of the bike stolen,” explains VCÖ spokesperson Gratzer. Replace the quick release on the saddle and front wheel with safety bolts and use a high-quality bicycle lock.

Even though few bike theft cases are solved in Austria (the “clearance rate” remains low at 9.3 percent), the VCÖ recommends riders note the bike’s frame number so that any recovered bikes can be handed over to the owner more easily.

SHOW COMMENTS