Auctioneer Surprisingly Released from Jail

Herbert Schauer, the director of the Munich-based auction house Zisska & Schauer, has been released from custody in Naples following a judicial review. Schauer had recently been sentenced to five years in prison for his alleged role in a conspiracy to sell stolen antique books, including a rare first edition by Galileo Galilei, which were embezzled from the Biblioteca dei Girolamini in Italy.

This release marks a significant turn in a high-profile international restitution case involving one of Italy’s most notorious library thefts. While Schauer intends to appeal the conviction citing a lack of evidence and plans to resign from his leadership role, the case highlights the ongoing legal risks and provenance challenges facing the antiquarian book and art market.