Erotic mosaic stolen by a Nazi captain returns to Pompeii

Erotic mosaic stolen by a Nazi captain returns to Pompeii
▲ The work was repatriated from Germany by the heirs of the last owner. Photo Ap
Ap
La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, p. 4
Pompeii. A mosaic panel on travertine slabs depicting an erotic theme from the Roman era was returned yesterday to the Pompeii archaeological park after being stolen by a German Nazi captain during World War II.
The work was repatriated from Germany through diplomatic channels, managed by the Italian Consulate in Stuttgart, Germany, after being returned by the heirs of the last owner, a deceased German citizen.
The owner had received the mosaic as a gift from a Wehrmacht captain, stationed in Italy during the war.
The mosaic – dating from around the first century BC – is a piece of extraordinary cultural interest
, experts said.
Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park and co-author of an essay on the work, stated: "This is the moment when the theme of domestic love becomes an artistic subject. While the Hellenistic period, from the 4th to the 1st centuries BC, exalted the passion of mythological and heroic figures, now we see a new theme
."
The heirs of the mosaic's last owner in Germany contacted the Carabinieri unit in Rome dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage, requesting information on how to return the mosaic to the Italian state. Authorities carried out the necessary checks to establish its authenticity and provenance, and then worked to repatriate the mosaic in September 2023.
Collaboration with the Pompeii Archaeological Park was also key, allowing it to be traced back to the vicinity of Vesuvius, despite the paucity of data on the original context of its discovery, the Carabinieri said.
The panel was then assigned to the Pompeii Archaeological Park where, once catalogued, it will be protected and available for educational and research purposes.
Zuchtriegel said: "Today's return is like healing an open wound
," adding that the mosaic allows us to reconstruct the history of that period, the first century AD, before Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The park director also highlighted how the return of the stolen art by its owner's heirs signals an important shift in mentality
, as the sense of ownership (of stolen art) becomes a heavy burden
.
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