MAK Diamond Robbery: Cultural Property Investigation Unit calls coup largest art theft since Saliera
A male duo robbed a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond necklace from Vienna's MAK last week. Police classify the case as the most spectacular art theft since the Saliera robbery in 2003.
Diamond necklace stolen from MAK – police draw historical comparison
According to Google News AT — Crime (de), Austrian police classify the theft of a million-euro diamond necklace from Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) as "probably the largest and most spectacular art theft since the Saliera case in 2003". This was stated by Anita Gach, head of cultural property investigation at the Federal Criminal Police Office, to the APA.
"When a museum is affected during opening hours, that is already a different dimension," said Gach. An armed male duo, equipped with a hammer and pistol, stole the necklace last Thursday in a matter of minutes from the ongoing "Highlights" exhibition. The jewellery piece was made in 1939 by the Paris luxury jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels in Art Deco style. The state police directorate is investigating on suspicion of robbery and theft.
Daily search through auction catalogues and Interpol databases
Gach and her team search daily through online catalogues from auction houses, relevant shops, art portals as well as databases from Interpol and Europol. House searches together with investigators are also part of their remit. The cultural property investigators largely forgo AI tools in this regard. "The human eye is still a tick better at this," said Gach. She is critical of the use of artificial intelligence: "One really has to be careful that no false information comes out." A "visual instinct" is essential for all members of the cultural property investigation team.
After every theft or robbery of cultural property in Austria, the police publish photographs online. "The goal is of course to reach as many people as possible and to disseminate information," said the expert. With high-profile cases such as the Saliera robbery from the Kunsthistorisches Museum or the current MAK coup, public attention is assured in any case.
Clearance rate around 20 per cent, trend slightly declining
A new case currently arrives at the cultural property investigation unit roughly every third day. In 2025, police registered 105 reports of art or cultural property theft in Austria according to crime statistics. The figures have remained virtually stable over the years, though showing a slight downward trend in the long term. In the early 2000s, statues were frequently stolen from churches – "That does not happen as often anymore," said Gach. The clearance rate stands at around 20 per cent; often years pass between theft and recovery.
International investigations led to success only last year: the State Criminal Police Office Tyrol and the Innsbruck public prosecutor's office were able to return two statues that had been stolen from a church in an Italian village 56 years ago. A drawing by Egon Schiele stolen in Austria in 2024, however, is still waiting to be returned – along with numerous other works of art.
(apa)
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)