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<p><img src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wB_jZ7DkA9w/Te0kds0H-YI/AAAAAAAAFgs/7Zyi7PGkSvY/s320/assets_LARGE_t_420_48527548.JPG" width="320" height="240"/> <strong>Temple of Aphaia, Aegina island</strong></p>
<p> <strong>The rape by the Germans and other ''Europeans''..</strong></p>
<p>We go back in 1811, when architect Ch. R. Cockerell and his friend von Baron von Hallerstein visited Aegina and plundered the Aphaia Temple. With opaque procedures and bribery of the local preachers, they secretly transported 17 statues and many other pieces from the pediments of the Temple to Piraeus. From there, with the help of the Austrian Gropius, a member of the same group of antiquities and "architect" of the looting of the sculptures of the Temple of Apollo at Vasses Arcadia, and the cover of the French proconsul Louis Fauvel (who, according to the "Logios Hermes'' ), When he learned what was rushed to Aegina and he also stole what he was able for the associate of Lord Elgin , Giovani Lusieri. They transferred them to the English-occupied then Eptanisa without any problems from the Ottoman administration.</p>
<p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/AFAIA_Eternal_Greece_Ltd_Eric_Cauchi001.jpg/300px-AFAIA_Eternal_Greece_Ltd_Eric_Cauchi001.jpg" width="300" height="199"/> <strong>East side of temple</strong></p>
<p><strong>The Paradox..</strong></p>
<p>"Luckily", because the looters didn't trust each other, they had signed a private agreement with each other and committed the sculptures to a single set, otherwise it would now be impossible to locate them. </p>
<p><strong>In the end..</strong></p>
<p>Finally, they were auctioned, in November 1812, in Zakynthos. France and Bavaria filed bids and the representative of England considered the amount he had to offer ''big'', so he preferred to stay in Malta and make secret conversations with Cockerell to cancel the sale. Finally, after a diplomatic background (on the back of little "Hellas"), in 1814 they ended up in Germany (then called Bavaria).</p>
<p><strong>Where are they today..</strong></p>
<p>Today they decorate a special hall of the Munich Gallery and have been named "AIGINITES". According to visitors, if they were missing from there, the Glyptothekata would be a provincial ordinary museum !!! Touching is an Aeginitis citizen witness, who visited the Glyptothek of Munich, where on entering and particularly in the cashier asked to pay the entrance to admire the exhibits. With courage, he refused to pay for something that was his, something that was his home, something that belonged to the Temple of Aphaia !</p>
<p>The sculptures must return home !!!</p>
<p>For information : www.aeginaportal.gr</p>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=544sPwrOzlQ</p>
<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdqOIg_QYSc</p>
<p>If you want all the stolen ancient treausures to return where they belong you can sign :</p>
<p>http://www.bringthemback.org/</p>
<p>Alternatively you can resteem , so more people learn about it . Thank you.</p>
<p>Have a nice day !</p>
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