A collection of 19th-century Russian books valued at €500,000 has been stolen from Warsaw Library
The University of Warsaw's library has reported the theft of rare 19th-century Russian books with an estimated value of €500,000. The university's rector revealed that some of the stolen books had already been sold at auction. Prosecutors have initiated an investigation into the thefts, suspecting that they may have occurred over several months.
The incident was brought to attention in mid-October when it was found that a borrower had replaced eight volumes with empty covers and dummy books. Subsequent scrutiny of the library's 19th-century collection revealed that up to 80 volumes were missing.
The library's director, Anna Wołodka, promptly reported the theft of eight books to the police. However, following the discovery of dozens more missing volumes, she was dismissed on grounds of negligence. Wołodko announced her intention to appeal the university's decision, contending that she took all necessary measures upon discovering the theft.
In response to her dismissal, the university's rector, Alojzy Nowak, issued a statement asserting that Polish police had previously informed Wołodko about an individual suspected of stealing from the collections of the Latvian National Library in December. Despite the identification of this person visiting the Warsaw library twice in November of the previous year, Wołodko allegedly failed to take appropriate preventive measures, and books borrowed during these visits were not promptly inspected.
According to Nowak, valuable items from the library's collection were stolen over ten months, potentially commencing even earlier. He highlighted that books bearing the library's stamps had been sold at foreign auctions, fetching substantial prices, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of euros per copy. The estimated current value of the approximately 80 stolen items exceeds €500,000, considering current auction prices.
The rector emphasized that the majority of the stolen items were first or early editions with significant historical and scientific value. These books, having survived periods of partition and wars, including two world wars, represent an irreparable loss.
The public prosecutor's office, which initiated proceedings after the initial report of eight stolen books in October, disclosed that a man and a woman had borrowed ten books, returning only two in full. The estimated value of the eight stolen books is at least 200,000 zloty (€45,000). If apprehended and convicted, the perpetrators could face up to ten years in prison.