German auction house Zisska & Schauer has called the arrest of its director “totally groundless”.
The firm claims that it was offered more than 400 books in private ownership in Italy in 2012. However the German government seized four of the books, believing they were linked to thefts from the Girolamini Library in Italy.
The auction house responded by withdrawing the entire consignment from auction.
Several individuals have already been tried and sentenced in Italy for the theft, including the former director of the library.
The Antiquarian Booksellers Association has written about the theft here.
Original source: The Local.