Zilkens'
News Blog

Zilkens' News Blog 32 2026

There are evenings when you hear stories that you really don’t want to believe, because they confirm that Islamism has little regard for our freedom amongst those it has indoctrinated. A friend of mine, who is already somewhat older, arrived at a major German railway station one evening and was approached by three men – with short hair but long black beards – who wanted to know what she was doing there. Fortunately, Deutsche Bahn security staff turned up, spoke to the three strange men in Arabic, and they then moved off, calling after my friend as she walked away: ‘You’ve been lucky this time.’ Following this story, a long discussion ensued about whether these men had in fact been brought up in the Muslim faith, and whether the remark they had shouted after her could already be regarded as preparation for a criminal offence. Frightening incidents like this should not be possible in the first place at German railway stations – or anywhere else, for that matter.

But let’s turn instead to art, which also has other aspects to offer: on 11 December, the Guggenheim Museum is due to open in Abu Dhabi in Gehry’s newly constructed museum building. Since 2006, the emirate has been assembling a collection which will be on display in the museum, organised by theme. It is to be hoped that the war between the US and Iran will not once again hinder this opening, which has already been delayed by more than ten years.

After all, one cannot simply transport any old artwork around Europe and then bring it into Switzerland as well. Over 20 years ago, French customs at the Swiss border confiscated a gouache by Chagall and a work by Zadkine that were being brought into Switzerland without the necessary authorisation. The confiscated items have now come to light – before they would have been lost for good in storage – and have been handed over to a French museum. Questions of ownership also appear to have been resolved, although in this case they can be described as confiscation.

But that’s not all from France: as can be read on Stefan Kobel’s blog, a golden Celtic grave offering weighing approximately 500 g was stolen from a museum in Burgundy on 24 July. It appears that one of the two suspects has already been identified, as a man aged around 20 was arrested on 28 July. There are fears, however, that this object too was stolen solely for the value of its gold and subsequently melted down. Gemstones and works of art made from particularly valuable materials are exposed to special risks. Unfortunately, simply building stronger display cases is not enough; perhaps access to these objects needs to be made much more difficult, thereby making them even more desirable.

The insurance industry is certainly happy to offer its expertise when it comes to insuring such objects. On the other hand, it is also involved in quite mundane matters, such as football. In Munich, there is a traditional club founded in 1860 that features lions in its crest. Until the end of last season, Bayerische had been sponsoring the club with around €1 million a year. However, the withdrawal of sponsor Hasan Ismalik was the real reason why the club is now playing in the fourth division. Dialogversicherung, which belongs to the Generali Group, has now emerged as the new sponsor. It’s not as though insurance brokers are particularly fond of the Munich Lions – especially those from Hamburg, Lübeck, Cologne, Frankfurt and other cities don’t necessarily see them as their home club. And some colleagues are also grumbling that they now have to sell products under the Dialog name, whereas previously they could offer them under the globally recognised Generali brand. On the other hand, the sponsorship now costs just half a million a year. Let’s be happy for the Munich team and hope the money isn’t squandered at the Oktoberfest.

Many galleries are closed this week – we’re in the peak of the holiday season. But from Tuesday, many museums will be open again, and in this heat they often serve as havens offering a welcome respite from the heat. There’s no need to pop into Cologne’s Wallraf-Richartz Museum – it’s closed until further notice for renovation – and anyone passing by the Ludwig Museum won’t get to see the Kusama exhibition. It’s now on its way to Amsterdam.

I hope you all enjoy Kobel’s Art Week and have a less stressful one yourselves.

Stephan Zilkens and the team at Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker GmbH in Solothurn and Cologne