Once again, the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation found vandalism on one of its historic buildings in its Sanssouci World Heritage Park. As the Potsdam police confirmed on Thursday, the foundation reported significant damage to the roof decoration of the picture gallery. The unknown perpetrators cut off fingers on several putti and also damaged vases set up on the roof cornice, police said. Other original roof design elements from the 18th-century picture gallery were also stolen or destroyed, including decorative leaves or a complete hand of a putto.
The crime must have happened before the last inspection by employees of the Castle Foundation on March 31, the foundation said through the police. According to the foundation’s first estimates, the material damage amounts to at least 30,000 euros. The cultural-historical damage is not included and cannot yet be assessed.
The criminal police, who were informed on Wednesday around 11 a.m., immediately took action on the picture gallery and secured traces at the scene of the crime. At the same time, it is currently being checked whether the new act is related to damage to the Neptune Grotto a month ago – right next to the picture gallery. Presumably on the evening of February 18, unknown persons broke the copper-wrought trident from the right hand of the marble sculpture of the sea god Neptune on the attic of the building and stole it. The figure’s five fingers and other body parts were broken off. A neighboring sculpture was also damaged and daubed with an SS rune. Days later, the trident was found in a backyard of a side street off Zeppelinstrasse
In the course of the investigation, the police asked: Who has made observations around the picture gallery in the last few days that could possibly be related to the damage? Who has a photo or video recording of the picture gallery that can help to further narrow down the time of the crime and identify possible perpetrators? The Potsdam Police Inspectorate takes tips on 0331 5508 0. Due to a cyber attack on the Brandenburg Police website, information cannot currently be transmitted online. According to the police, the citizens’ portal on the Internet is also not available at the moment
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