German media manager plundered UNESCO world heritage
In an interview prominent German media mogul Helmut Thoma admitted the looting of a grave in Syrian UNESCO world heritage site of Palmyra 30 years ago.
Original interviewwith Helmut Thoma
Thoma tells how a dealer in Damaskus took him to a grave chamber in Palmyra and invited him to crawl inside. "It was dark and there were snakes..." Thoma says. But his inner Indiana Jones was stronger than his worries. After a small entrance there were several graves, decorated with frescoes. "I've choosen these ones here in my living room."
Afterwards these antiques were smuggeld through the customs at Frankfurt.
German archaeologists protest against this crime against international law and demand, that the objects - part of an ancient grave - have to be brought back to Syria.
In the meantime German media start to take up the scandal. The Radio station SWR2 interviewed the classical archaeologist Andreas Schmidt-Colinet, Professor at the University of Vienna (Interview on Helmut Thoma's looting in Palmyra - swr; - see also Interview with Prof. Schmidt-Colinet on Helmut Thoma's looting in Palmyra - epoc
Original interviewwith Helmut Thoma
Thoma tells how a dealer in Damaskus took him to a grave chamber in Palmyra and invited him to crawl inside. "It was dark and there were snakes..." Thoma says. But his inner Indiana Jones was stronger than his worries. After a small entrance there were several graves, decorated with frescoes. "I've choosen these ones here in my living room."
Afterwards these antiques were smuggeld through the customs at Frankfurt.
German archaeologists protest against this crime against international law and demand, that the objects - part of an ancient grave - have to be brought back to Syria.
In the meantime German media start to take up the scandal. The Radio station SWR2 interviewed the classical archaeologist Andreas Schmidt-Colinet, Professor at the University of Vienna (Interview on Helmut Thoma's looting in Palmyra - swr; - see also Interview with Prof. Schmidt-Colinet on Helmut Thoma's looting in Palmyra - epoc
R.Schreg - 17. Nov, 22:46
