The brazen cinematic heist of historic royal jewels, worth 88 million euros, from the Louvre Museum in Paris, on the morning of Sunday, October 19, alarmed the heads of all Museums in the world, reminding them how vulnerable their security is and how exposed their mobile cultural treasures are even in broad daylight.
The question “how safe are our museums”, which after the spectacular theft, in such a direct way that it reminded of movies like “Arsene Lupin” (four men dressed as workers, with tools and a small lift, who grabbed their precious loot in 7 minutes and disappeared on a scooter!) inevitably, beyond the amazed public opinion, is of particular concern tension and them experts all over the world and of course also in Greece.
These very questions, about “how safe are our museums?” and whether “are there ways to better shield our heritage protection mechanisms?” addressed the APE-MPE to the heads of three of the largest and most important museums in Athens. The directors from the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine & Christian Museum, as well as the president of the Association of Greek Archaeologists (SEA) responded and gave their opinion.
N. Stampolidis: The Louvre should realize the necessity of restoring the Parthenon sculptures in the Acropolis Museum
“As long as museums don’t respect themselves, I fear that this kind of phenomenon will exist, like those that preceded it in the Louvre and the British Museum. I wish the Louvre will soon find the stolen important documents of the history of France, but at the same time realize the necessity of restoring the Parthenon sculptures in the Acropolis Museum that were stolen by Fauvel and which are part of the Parthenon body and the world cultural heritage”, said the general director of the Acropolis Museum, professor Nikolaos Ch. Stampolidis. “The thorough recording and documentation of all the artefacts found in the museums of our country and abroad are, in addition to the vigilance of the custodial staff, the first steps to protect our cultural assets”, he added.
K. Nikolentzos: Intensification, enrichment and integration of the National Monuments Archive
“In Greece, there are over 210 public/state archaeological museums and dozens of organized archaeological sites that can be visited. According to the Statistics Authority, 6,651,911 were visitors to our museums and 14,000,000 to our archaeological sites in 2024. Despite these large numbers, as you are well aware of us, there have been few and isolated cases of theft or vandalism, the majority of which were discovered or cleared up almost immediately. It is noted that due to incidents of violence or theft, training seminars were held for prison staff, guidelines were drawn up regarding the duties and modus operandi of guards in archaeological sites and museums, while the rules for entering archaeological warehouses etc. were tightened. In addition, the National Archives of Monuments has been created and is constantly being enriched, making any effort pointless theft/misappropriation of antiquities”, Konstantinos Nikolentzos, deputy general director of the National Archaeological Museum, notes to APE-MPE.
“Individual and highly specific incidents show that:
- * The security systems and the protective staff of the Museums work satisfactorily and are definitely a deterrent.
- * It has been understood that the exhibits have lost commercial interest, as they have effectively been put out of trade and commerce.
- * The public has become aware of acts of vandalism/theft of antiquities.
- * International and European legislation, the memoranda of cooperation signed between Greece and the antiquities “receiving” countries, the tightening of the Code of Ethics of the International Council of Museums have significantly and decisively limited the possibilities of illegal trafficking of antiquities.
More information on matters of illegal trafficking, theft, vandalism, illegal excavations can also be sought from the Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Property”, he adds and concludes with regard to the additional measures he would propose to better protect our heritage protection mechanisms: “Intensification, enrichment and completion of the National Monuments Archive. Introduction of new technology in security systems/ their continuous renewal and updating. Increase in the number of custodial staff and in fact with field guards (for the unorganized archaeological sites). Examination of the feasibility of recommending for the major archaeological and art museums a special police force with appropriate training and specialized knowledge”.
Ekaterini Dellaporta: No security system is completely safe
Its general manager Byzantine & Numismatic Museum Ekaterini Dellaporta he emphasized that although Greek museums are generally safe and follow the relevant protocols, they always need improvements, in terms of staff for guarding and the appropriate technological means for their effective protection.
“The robbery at the Louvre proved that “it happens to Parisians too” and that no security system is completely safe. Big robberies like the one at the Louvre are carefully planned, they are one step ahead of the security systems, possibly because they have accomplices from the inside. But not even jewelry stores are safer, as the British Guardian claims, if you think about the robberies at Bulgari in 2023 and at Chopard in 2016 at Place Vendome, but even at this Lloyds Bank in London in the past,” Ms. Dellaporta emphasized to APE-MBE, adding: “So I consider that proportionally the Greek Museums are safe, they apply the international security protocols and the Guidelines of the Ministry of Culture, without this making them impregnable”.
Regarding the necessary mechanisms, Ms. Dellaporta emphasized that “they are always open to improvement, depending on the specificity of each museum, starting from the increase in the number of custodial staff and ending with the technological security infrastructure, alarms and monitoring systems. The installation of control machines for visitors as well as the special training of the custodial staff is very important, as is the strict observance of the guarding rules, and why not, the creation of a special body of antiquities guards within the Hellenic Police, to serve in the major Museums and archaeological sites”, added the general director of the Byzantine & Christian Museum. And he concluded: “On the other hand, I want to emphasize that the custodial staff in the Greek Museums, despite all the minor deviations and criticisms they receive, perform their duties very conscientiously because they feel the Museum they work for is theirs and they protect it like their home.”
Association of Greek Archaeologists: effective guarding cannot be done with cameras
“As the Association of Greek Archaeologists (SEA) we have to say that the need to hire protective staff is imperative and that effective guarding is not done with cameras, but with professionals and with their presence in places and museums”, SEA president Kostas Paschalidis told APE-MPE.