Many French people reacted with bewilderment to the news of the sensational theft at the Louvre. “It is unbelievable that someone could come with a ladder, break the windows and lift the jewels of the French crown - and in the very center of Paris“, says a young man in front of the Louvre, quoted by ARD.
Outrage also reigns among politicians. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the act as an attack on French culture: “The theft at the Louvre is an attack on a cultural heritage that we value because it is part of our history“, he said. The right-wing nationalist party “National Rally“ Marine Le Pen described the incident as a "humiliation for France". The most famous French expert on aristocracy, Stephane Bern, described what happened as follows: "It's like having your family jewels stolen."
According to Paris prosecutor Laure Bequo, a gang of four people is being sought who carried out the spectacular theft in masks and then escaped using "powerful scooters." It is possible that the perpetrators were just "small fish" who may have been behind a criminal organization as a guarantor, the prosecutor also said. Investigators can also rely on CCTV footage from the museum, which is among the biggest tourist attractions in Paris.
Brooches, tiaras and necklaces
A total of eight priceless royal jewels were stolen by the criminals: brooches, tiaras and necklaces with diamonds and pearls from the time of Louis XIV and the French Empire in the 19th century. The historical jewels were displayed in two of the display cases of the “Apollo” gallery on the first floor in the south wing of the Louvre. The thieves entered through a balcony, which they reached with a hoist mounted on a truck, and the theft itself was carried out in just a few minutes.
However, the thieves dropped one of the jewels during their escape. This is the crown of Empress Eugenie de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III, the last monarch of France, who abdicated in 1870, which is decorated with more than 1,000 diamonds. The crown apparently fell from the hands of the thieves and broke.
Also stolen was a necklace with eight sapphires and 631 diamonds, belonging to Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense. In addition, a medallion with 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds, belonging to Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. There is a risk that "some of the diamonds will be sold on the market separately, which would greatly complicate the recovery of the jewelry," the head of the department told the newspaper “Le Parisien“ expert familiar with the investigation.
Insufficient staff?
After the robbery, there has been much criticism that the cultural authorities in recent years have not invested enough in the security of the Louvre. Back in February, its director Laurence de Carre issued an appeal for help, stating that the largest museum in the world is in poor condition. She was mainly referring to the poor condition of the building itself.
The unions, in turn, recall that some of the staff responsible for security at the Louvre have also been laid off: “In ten years, 190 security jobs have been cut. This corresponds to 15 percent of the staff“, says unionist Elise Muller, quoted by ARD.
Meanwhile, a fierce discussion is taking place in France about the security of French museums. "In this case, we failed," Justice Minister Gerard Darmanin admitted. According to him, what happened creates a "very negative image of France."
The Ministry of Culture responded to the criticism with a statement saying that the alarms on the outer window of the "Apollo" gallery and on the two affected display cases were triggered in time, and the professional and immediate reactions of five museum employees prevented even greater losses.
This is not the first such incident at the Louvre
The Louvre has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies. One of the most famous is the theft in 1911, when the "Mona Lisa" disappeared from the museum. Meanwhile, it is back in place and attracts about 20,000 visitors a day.
The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world - last year it welcomed nearly nine million visitors. The museum's collection includes over 35,000 works of art. To cope with the flow of visitors, there are strict access restrictions with prescribed visitor routes and barriers in front of the most popular exhibits, ARD also writes.