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A Stradivari violin stolen last month from a top Austrian violinist was recuperated Tuesday in Vienna.
The instrument is 327-years-old and worth at least 2.5 million euros ($3.4 million). It belongs to Christian Altenburger, a violin soloist who has played with the London, New York and Vienna symphony orchestras.
The violin was stolen from his Vienna apartment in late May. Police found the instrument in another apartment and arrested six Georgians, a week after it had been stolen. A spokesperson from the police department said officers traced the Stradivari to the Georgians after they mailed a suitcase stolen from Altenburger’s apartment.
Along with the Stradivari they were searching for, officers found an additional Stradivari violin worth about $162,000, also stolen from the musician.
“We're just happy to be able to return the instrument to our star violinist in undamaged condition,” Interior Minister Guenther Platter said at a press conference today in the Austrian capital.
The musician himself seemed overwhelmed upon hearing his instruments had been recovered. “I'm very happy and relieved,” Altenburger said. “I didn't think it would happen so quickly.”
Antonio Stradivari is a renowned 17th century violin maker whose instruments, violins, guitars, violas and cellos, have become increasingly precious. Of the estimated 1,100 instruments he created. Some 650 still exist.
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