This article is based upon the books, "Richtstellungen zur Zeitgeschichte" (Corrections to History of our Time) Volume 2, page 302, published by Grabert Verlag, D-72066 Tübingen, Postfach 1629, Germany

A special case of American art theft represents the theft of the Quedlinburg Cathedral treasury which decades later would be redeemed for millions of dollars from its rightful owner - a legal scandal beyond compare.

With over 50 pieces of magnificent, richly decorated book of the Gospels and reliquaries, and other precious jewellery, one of the treasures was Treasury from the Quedlinburg Cathedral; the former Collegiate Church of St. Servatius, Germany’s most valuable church treasures. Many pieces date from the time of the Saxon Emperors, which is from the early days of the German monarchy. Many pieces date from the time of the Saxon Emperors, which is from the early days of the German Monarchy. To protect these treasuries during World War, it had been moved to a mine tunnel, which was guarded by German soldiers.  In1945 U.S. troops took over as guards.

   Joe Meador, First lieutenant by the 87. Artillerie-Bataillon, and art THIEF

The leader of the US troops was first lieutenant Joe T. Meador, he had been studying art and understood the value of the treasuries (1).  With the eye of an expert he stole twelve of the most valuable parts and sent them with the military post to his mother in Texas.  After WWII  he handed parts of the treasure of his bank as security for a loan for his business. After his death the unique art objects were found in the bank vault.   The U.S. officer on duty in 1945 committed not only a common theft, but also a crime against culture, as he took away the most important parts of a valuable treasure of the church itself appropriated. (Such behavior was a crime according to the Hague Agreement of 1907).   For the lawful owner and the German public - irreplaceable treasures such as the driven entirely in gold Samuhel Gospels - the missing pieces were look upon as lost or destroyed during the war.

                                                                                        First page of Samuhel Gospel

Some years after Meador’s death (1980) his siblings tried make money on parts of the valuable heritage.  They used dark arts market contacts in 1988, to sell the most valuable piece of stolen property, the Samuhel Gospels, a manuscript from the 9th Century and now one of the masterpieces of early medieval book illumination to provide for nine million dollars of the Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. At that time Germany was two states, DDR (German Democratic Republic) and BRD (Federal Republic of Germany) hindered the selling of the valuable art pieces.

After the reunification of Germany, the small piece was in April 1990 then offered to the Cultural Foundation of the countries (KSL), but a  "finder's fee” of three million U.S. dollars was demanded.  The Secretary General of the Cultural Foundation, Klaus Maurice was, of necessity, given the value of a piece on it and agreed installments. After payment of the first two installments of $ 1,750,000 were the illegal owners in the United States settled in Texas and the remaining pieces will be confiscated. 

Who now believes that stolen property should be returned to its rightful owner, the Lutheran Church of Quedlinburg, and be a main part in blackmailer has no knowledge to the current law in the U.S.  A complicated legal dispute between the Quedlinburg church, now supported by the KSL and Meador's heirs began, with the U.S. government distancing himself from the whole affair, especially not apologized for the theft by the officer in his service.

  Ilustration to King's Gospel

The Meador's heirs appealed to the fact that the treasuries were their “heritage” and that they had taken it in “good faith“, although she knew that heir brother had stolen the treasure, but they had turned to Germany and to ensure interested parties.  Texan law favored them as owners.  Finally , there was apparently, only for the German agents a way to prevent the other pieces in the cathedral treasury vanished forever on the international art in private hands:  Germany, in a January 1991 court settlement, had to agree that the stolen art-work was the property of the Meador heirs. It is KSL agreed to pay for the entire stolen treasure US-$ 912,500 to the heirs. Subsequently, the remaining pieces returned after 45 years on 29 April 1992 back to Germany. From October 1992 they were 30 May 1993, to the exhibition, The Quedlinburg Treasury reunited 'for the Berlin Museum of Decorative Arts.   From October 1992  to 30 May 1993 the treasury were on exhibition they were.  The Quedlinburg Treasury was after they came back to German land reunited to the Berlin Museum of Decorative Arts.

Instead of punishing the owner and allowing the robber and the fencers for decades to blackmail the owner, the US-legal system should have punished the siblings of First lieutenant Meador for their crime of fencing and later blackmailing Germany.  The treasury First lieutenant Meador had stolen was, as said above, treasuries belonging to a Cathedral, but also very important documents which so to say “belong to all people of Germany”. First Lieutenant Meador’s sibling had hidden these documents and used the US-legal system to blackmail the owners for US$ 2,662,500. 

What would have happened if a single German soldier - let alone a high-ranking officer – during WWII had robbed a private home and then used Germany’s legal system to blackmail that person?(2)  Looking back over the past decades where alleged owners have taken NRD to court for art they claimed belonged to their family before the war.  BRD’s courts do not ask for proofs of ownership. That is BRD a puppet-state on German land.

Wow all museums and privately owned treasuries in countries invaded by US-troops.  We have learned about treasuries from Iraq ending up in US-museums after the fall of Saddam Hussain.  (Added by RjH)

Notes:

1  Die Welt, Oktober 31 1992 (Die Welt is a German newspaper)

2  ZDF-Sendung „Die Sieger und das Nazi-Gold“, 3 September 2005, um 0 Uhr 15 (ZDF is a German television program)

Also read: The robbery of century Quedlinburg