Thefts in cemeteries: metals cause painful losses
Thefts in cemeteries: metals cause painful losses
In the past few months, alarming reports about the theft of metallic objects have accumulated on cemeteries in various German regions. This crime aims at grave decorations, which is often made of valuable materials such as copper and bronze. The perpetrators are not only active in urban areas, but also spread out on rural regions, which the citizens in great concern.
Theft of a significant bronze Madonna figure in Emerkingen, district of Alb-Donau, was particularly striking. This incident is just one of many who have recently been known. A bronze horse sculpture was stolen in Ochsenhausen several weeks ago, and bronze tombs of a total of 60 graves disappeared in Sandhausen. The damage amounts amount to high five -digit amounts, which for many survivors represent an immense burden.waves of thefts and emotional effects
The police have found that such thefts appear in waves. Tobias Pehle, Managing Director of the Board of Trustees, intangible inheritance of the cemetery culture, describes it as well -organized and strategically planned missions. The criminals concentrate solely on the dital light materials that they can quickly turn into money. "Basically, all graves are the living room of our deceased ancestors," continued Pehle. The emotional damage to relatives are enormous because the graves are an important place of commemoration.
In the Kraichgau region, for example, numerous bronze badges of war graves have been stolen in the past few months. A representative reported on total damage of up to 18,000 euros. In addition, cemeteries in Heidelberg had to miss valuable objects worth around 50,000 euros in June. The trend seems to show worrying, and more and more cemeteries are under threat.
Security and Enlightenment
The educational rate for these crimes is unfortunately very low. The state criminal police documented a total of 402 fraud cases in 2023, which corresponds to a slight decline compared to the previous year. The different police headquarters indicate different statistics; The police headquarters Mannheim reported 80 cases and Karlsruhe an increasing tendency, while Offenburg remained in the single -digit area.
The question of security in cemeteries is considered complex by experts. Herbert Schneider, chairman of the association of the cemetery administrations, expressed that during measures such as closed goals or alarm systems could be helpful, the challenge is that cemeteries are public places that must remain accessible to families and mourners. "The thieves are inventive and are not afraid to work with tools to overcome rejections," says Schneider.
Additional measures, such as replacing stolen sculptures by duplicates, could possibly reduce the loss of grave decorations. But the question remains whether such short -term solutions are sufficient to sustainably improve security in cemeteries and to relieve the emotional pain of those affected.
Kommentare (0)