In Regensburg, unknown persons stole the over a thousand year old remains of St. Wolfgang, an important medieval prince of the church.
The perpetrators broke open a steel enclosure in the church named after Wolfgang in Regensburg, as the police announced.
The relics were "broken out of the bulletproof glass and the steel enclosure with extreme force," the community reported on its website.
"The moral damage is immeasurable. And that five days before the Wolfgang Festival".
The day of Saint Wolfgang is the coming Saturday.
Wolfgang, who died in 994, was the first bishop of Regensburg, he was canonized in 1052. Among other things, he was known as the tutor of the later Emperor Heinrich II (973-1024).
"Every hint, no matter how small, can be of importance for the investigation"
As is customary with medieval relics, parts of the body were buried in different places.
There are two Wolfgang graves in Regensburg today: the greater part of the relics is kept in the Emmerams basilica, the smaller part in the St.
Further relics can be found in the place named after the bishop of St. Wolfgang am Wolfgangsee in the Austrian Salzkammergut and in Portugal.
The Regensburg Kripo started investigations into a particularly serious case of theft, even if the material damage is comparatively minor.
The investigators urgently asked for evidence from the population.
"Every hint, no matter how small, can be of importance for the investigation," said the police.
Icon: The mirror
mxw / dpa
