[CPProt.net] South Africa: Historic German plaques stolen from beachfront

[Museum Security and Cultural Property Protection (Ton Cremers)]

Historic German plaques stolen from beachfront
Jan 4 2006

By LEW ELIAS


VANDALS have stolen the historic bronze plaques from the German Settlers
Monument at the East London beachfront.

The plaques would fetch "at most a few hundred rand from scrap dealers", but
have historic value and are also works of art sculpted by German artist Bodo
Kampmann in 1960.

The plaques were the finishing touch to the monument honouring the German
Settlers who came to the Eastern Cape in 1857 and 1858, and the monument -
sculpted by South African artist Lippy Lipschitz - is the only one of its
kind in South Africa.

The plaques were paid for by the then West Germany government and by some of
the towns from which the settlers came.

The five plaques, all 1 metre x 80cm, have relief work on them showing the
settlers leaving home, travelling to South Africa, their arrival, their work
and their optimistic future. 

Most scrap dealers in the area have been contacted and alerted to the theft
but none say they have seen any bronze that could resemble part of the
missing monument, East London Historical Society representative Kenneth
Gradwell said yesterday.

The East London Museum's Kevin Cole said the theft was a huge loss to the
city's heritage and the local German community are also very upset.

Gabriella Schuch, a member of the local German community and part of the
German Settlers Monument committee which leased the site from the
municipality in 2000, said she was devastated at the theft.

"Some years ago we were trying to have the plaques cast in resin after
another attempt was made to remove them. We would have made casts from the
plaques, but now we can't do that as they are gone and it is unlikely that
the original casts still exist." 

Schuch said the German government said it would help with some of the costs
of recasting the plaques in resin on the understanding that the original
plaques be housed in the East London Museum. "But not that is not to be." 

The theft has been reported to police who are still investigating. 

http://www.dispatch.co.za/