The Journal.

Why French Museums Keep Getting Robbed

183 snips
Nov 17, 2025
Noemie Bisserbe, a Wall Street Journal reporter specializing in museum robberies, dives into the alarming trend of heists in France. She highlights the shocking daylight robbery at the Louvre and the troubling increase in thefts across the country. Bisserbe explains why thieves are targeting gold and jewels over artwork and discusses how historic buildings complicate security upgrades. She also reveals how copycat crimes inspired by previous spectacular thefts contribute to the rising wave of robberies, raising questions about the protection of national treasures.
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ANECDOTE

Daring Daylight Heist At The Louvre

  • Thieves raided the Louvre in broad daylight and stole $102 million in jewels in seven minutes.
  • They entered dressed as workers, cut glass, and escaped within minutes.
ANECDOTE

Small-Town Museum Hit Days After Louvre

  • Within 24 hours of the Louvre robbery, a small-town museum in Langres was also robbed of gold coins.
  • The coincidence highlighted a rapid cluster of museum thefts across France.
INSIGHT

A Rapidly Growing Wave Of Thefts

  • France saw nine museum heists in the past year, with seven in the past two months.
  • The pattern suggests an accelerating wave of thefts rather than isolated incidents.
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