Photo: Jef-Infojef (talk · contribs) / CC BY-SA 2.5 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Stéphane Breitwieser is a deeply unsettling figure to write about. Stealing 239 works from 172 museums while working as a waiter, roughly one theft every fifteen days, he earned the Guardian's grim title of the world's most consistent art thief. I condemn the crimes outright, yet what haunts me is that he didn't sell the loot; he hoarded and lived among it. That reframes him from common thief into a case study of obsession, of beauty curdling into possession. As an author reflecting on his own compulsion, he embodies the frightening, melancholy edge of loving art too much.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Stéphane Breitwieser
- Name (Japanese)
- ステファン・ブライトヴィーザー
- Reading
- すてふぁん・ぶらいとゔぃーざー
- Born
- October 1, 1971 (age 54)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Boar
- Origin
- Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- art thief / writer / art collector / author
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%A9phane%20Breitwieser
Frequently asked questions
When was Stéphane Breitwieser born?
Born October 1, 1971 (age 54).
Where is Stéphane Breitwieser from?
Stéphane Breitwieser is from Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France.
What does Stéphane Breitwieser do?
Stéphane Breitwieser works as art thief, writer, art collector, author.
Writer — see all → · More people from France →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.