Burglary! - Heavy losses for
aviation museum at Rechlin
Impudent thieves get away with lots of WW II Luftwaffe aircraft parts
During the night of December 20./21. 2002, thieves
broke into one of the exhibition halls of the „Luftfahrttechnisches Museum
Rechlin“ (technical-historical aviation museum).
The exhibits in this hall are related to the history
of the German Air Force Test Center (Erprobungsstelle) Rechlin, furthermore
there are aircraft parts and equipment from the 1920 – 1945 period along with
some post-war items.
The burglars took some 150 valuable objects out of
some 20 glass cabinets. Most of these objects were loans from private
collectors and supporters of the museum.
Beyond the stolen objects there were two complete
instrument panels from a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G including the Revi 12 C
gunsight and from a Heinkel He 162 A, extremely rare cockpit equipment from a
Dornier Do 335 A, irreplaceable personal flight suits, boots, heated trousers,
gloves, flight maps, decorations from former Rechlin test pilots and engineers.
Furthermore the thieves got away with lots of
instruments, injection pumps, oil and fuel pumps, generators, magnetos,
gearboxes, electrical motors, compasses, chronometers, switches, filters,
sparking plugs etc.
A detailed list of these objects can be found on the museum’s website www.luftfahrttechnisches-museum-rechlin.de
The museum keeps detailed data about each object, its
nameplate, serial number etc. All items have been photographed before being
exhibited. Police investigations are on course.
This burglary means a heavy set-back for the relatively
young museum in north eastern Germany. In 1993, the “Foerderverein
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum” was registered in order to prepare a museum on the
historical site. Here the biggest ever test center of the Luftwaffe was located
from 1918 to 1945. The remaining area could be purchased from the German
Government by the “Foerderverein” with donations from former Rechlin engineers
and pilots.
The museum was open to the public in 1998 in the
ancient main gate building of the Erprobungsstelle and other adjacent original
buildings.
The number of visitors grew from year to year to some
16.000 in 2002. They can see separate exhibitions showing aviation and test center history until 1945, local
history and post-war period (Russian airforce at Rechlin as well as VEB
Schiffswerft Rechlin)
The museum is operated exclusively by honorary work of
the members and without any public or government support.
Now it is doubtful, if and how the loss of the
majority of objects can be balanced.
Any support from the collector’s, researcher’s and historian’s community will be most
appreciated.
Everybody is asked to contact the museum in case any
parts, instruments or equipment as listed above is offered to him or if he
knows about such offers or the present location of the parts.
Please contact phone ++49 39823 20424 or mailto chr.regel@luftfahrttechnisches-museum-rechlin.de for further
information or requests.
Christoph Regel
Bitte
nicht veröffentlichen/ Please do not publish my private address
Verantwortlich/Responsible
Christoph
Regel
Ressortleiter
Luftfahrtgeschichte
Asternstr.
9/1
70825
Korntal-Münchingen
Tel.
07150/918534