Robbery in Paris
A robbery was carried out this morning at the famous Louvre in Paris. According to the Interior Minister, the robbers stole jewelry from Napoleon's collection. The investigation is ongoing, as is the search for the fugitive thieves.
Unknown assailants broke into the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris this morning. They stole jewelry from the Galerie d'Apollon, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said in an interview with France Inter. The pieces were of"inestimable cultural and historical value beyond their market value," the minister said. The perpetrators entered from outside using a cage elevator and then fled. The operation lasted a total of seven minutes.
According to a report in Le Parisien, the perpetrators are said to have stolen a total of nine pieces from Napoleon and the Empress's jewelry collection. These include a necklace, a brooch, and a tiara.
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati announced that no one was injured in the attack. The investigation is ongoing, as is the search for the thieves, who fled on scooters. The museum will remain closed today, according to its own statement.
Report: Nine pieces stolen from jewelry collection
Le Parisien reported that the thieves entered the museum via the building on the Seine side, where construction work is currently underway. They reportedly entered a room in the Galerie d'Apollon via a freight elevator.
According to the newspaper, after smashing the windows and with an accomplice standing guard, two men are said to have stolen the pieces from Napoleon's and the Empress's jewelry collection. They then fled on motorcycles toward the A6 motorway.
ARD correspondent: Theft was "very well thought out"
The crime must have been planned for a long time, says ARD correspondent Friederike Hofmann."What became very clear this morning is that the whole thing was very well thought out." They must have known exactly what they were doing. The country is in shock, Hofmann says.
According to the Interior Minister, investigations into gang-related crime have been launched.
World-famous museum
The Louvre is one of the most famous attractions in the French capital. In 2024, nearly nine million visitors visited the art institution, making it the most visited museum in the world. The museum's collection includes over 35,000 works of art.
The Louvre has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies. One of the most famous was a 1911 theft when the Mona Lisa, one of the most important paintings in art history, disappeared from the museum. It has since been returned to its original location and attracts around 20,000 visitors daily.
