Slipped Disc alert: Stop that thief
mainA Carl Becker 1928 violin belonging to Slippedisc columnist Anthea Kreston was stolen today on the 2pm train from Berlin to Freiburg. The train was travelling from Berlin to Basel, via Frankfurt and Mannheim.
Anthea is with the police at the moment, together with her Artemis Quartet cellist, Eckart Runge.
She says: ‘I just stood to go to the bathroom – the person sitting next to me said – a young man came and took your violin.’
Anthea is staying positive (see below, with cop) but she needs all the help she can get.
Anyone offering a Carl Becker violin for sale in Germany or elsewhere, please be aware it may be Anthea’s.
Share this post as widely as possible please to alert the violin trade.
This is horrible and not surprising. For years I have carried a thin cable to lock my cases to the overhead on trains. That lets me sleep and visit the bathroom. And even then, I never use the facilities within 10 minutes of the next stop.
There appears to be an uptick in crimes on the German train system. In the last month two musician friends of mine have had their wallets lifted at the Cologne central station. Bah!
I hope that Anthea’s violin will soon be found safe & secure. Just when you think the world is getting nicer and friendlier…
I’d say the world is getting nastier and nastier, frankly.
And has been for some time.
“a young man came and took your violin” while I watched and did nothing…?
What kind of world do we live in…?
I agree! This person watched someone walk away with another person’s property and didn’t do anything!!!! Incredulous!
Sincerely hope player and instrument are reunited ASAP.
Perhaps the man did it with such confidence that the watcher didn’t think at the time that there was anything wrong. They perhaps assumed that nobody would carry out a crime with such brazen openness?
How awful. Hope it comes back to you soon.
This is not the first time! One of my students had her violin also stolen on the train in Germany, for a moment she was not paying attention or distracted and a man took it from the overhead, witnesses said they noticed 2 men working together and leaving the train.
Please people be more careful!
Prof. Koh G. Kameda – University of Music Detmold
Oh no, oh no. This is very distressing. I hope it is quickly found and in good condition.
The police picked it up at my workshop today, so it should return safely to Anthea!
Fridolin
This is wonderful news!