Secret Behind an Erotic Roman Mosaic Stolen by a Nazi Captain Unveiled After 80 Years, Set to Shock Pompeii Again
So here’s a wild one for you: during World War II, a Nazi captain—yeah, one of those guys you’d expect to be hoarding medals or something—decided instead to snag a nearly 2,000-year-old erotic mosaic from Pompeii. And not just stash it away quietly; he took it all the way back to Germany and gave it as a gift. I mean, who gifts stolen ancient art? Fast forward 80 years, and that very mosaic has finally boomeranged its way back to where it belongs. But—and here’s the kicker—because it was yanked out of context during the chaos of war, we’ll probably never uncover its original spot in that ancient city or the stories of the folks who once walked over it. It’s like finding a 2,000-year-old love letter with half the pages missing—intriguing, maddening, and oddly intimate all at once. Curious about how this piece of history took such a strange detour and what makes it more than just a fancy floor tile? LEARN MORE
The mosaic was stolen by a Nazi captain during World War II and dates to between the late first century B.C.E. and the first century C.E.
Pompeii Archaeological ParkThe stolen erotic mosaic from Pompeii.
During World War II, a Nazi captain returned home with an erotic mosaic that he’d stolen while serving in Italy. The captain gifted the mosaic to a civilian, who left it to his heirs after his death. Now, 80 years later, the mosaic has been returned to Pompeii, from where it was seemingly looted during the war.
While archaeologists at the Pompeii Archaeological Park are thrilled to have reclaimed the object, they acknowledge that something was irrevocably lost in its theft. Without knowing where exactly the mosaic came from, many questions about its provenance will remain unanswered.
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