GERMAN CONSTITUTION.

Auckland Star, 2 January 1931, Page 5

GERMAN CONSTITUTION.

ORIGINAL DOCUMENT STOLEN.

VANISHES FROM REICHSTAG SAFE. COLLECTOR BELIEVED- GUILTY. The exact date when the original copy of the Germaa Constitution of March, .1849, was stolen' from the Reichstag Library cannot be fixed, as the safe, in which it was k<jpt had not been inspected since November, 1929, it was announced recently by the Reichstag's librarian.

At the same' time the loss of this 27page parchment text with 19 pages of signatures attached was discovered, the absence was also noted of a volume by a well-known specialist, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, dealing with morality among soldiers during the World War. Three other volumes on sex matters also.were missing. < The value of the Constitution is estimated at £5000, though inasmuch .as it could not possibly be sold in GarmanyV if indeed anywhere, its exact value is largely theoretical. The Reichstag's librarian explained that the most valuable -parts of the collection were never placed on tho shelves, but always locked up in the safe. The thief must have opened it., removed the valuables and closed it neatly. It is not clear why he chose to steal something unsaleable, unless he himself was a passionate collector, possibly erratic and not interested in money.

The volume which disappeared is described as bound in red leather, with a silver eagle embossed on the cover. The Constitution contained therein -was that devised by the famous Parliament in St. Paul's Church, Frankfort, in 1848, which gave voice to the revolutionary sentiments of that year and adopted the present German black, red and gold flag as its emblem. The Constitution was completed on March 28, 1849, but soon disappeared as the various German States were unwilling to unite. The 19 supplementary pages of signatures contained the names of all the delegates to the Frankfort Parliament.

It may be recalled that a few months ago a robbery was discovered in the Reichstag Library, when some deputies, who had placed their family silver behind some little-read tomes for safekeeping, found when they came to take it home at the end of the summer recess that it had been removed. It is thought possible the Constitution may have been removed at the same time.