The stolen 5,000-euro teddy bear: “The carefree attitude I always had in Berlin is no longer there”

What brought you from Bielefeld to Berlin?

We had numerous business appointments at the beginning of June. Among other things, I had a project meeting with a fairly well-known German actress and her PR consultant. We met at the Einstein Unter den Linden .

And that's where you lost your teddy bear?

Exactly. We were sitting in the back of the Einstein, where Cem Özdemir or Sahra Wagenknecht usually sit. I had slung my bag over the back of my chair. We were engrossed in our conversation, and the waiter eventually came over, after we'd urged him twice that we'd finally ordered. And while we were taking our orders, all three of us were so distracted—partly because the waiter was so hesitant and had thrown everything around—that we apparently hadn't noticed our surroundings. When my partner arrived about 25 minutes later, I wanted to get something out of my bag, reached behind the chair, and realized that the bag had been stolen.

At that moment, were you more worried about the teddy bear or your wallet?

At first, of course, I was horrified to find the bag gone, along with my wallet, all my credit cards, ID cards, and driver's license. But about five seconds later, I realized that the bear was also in the bag. And that was really, really bad at that moment.

Do you always have the teddy bear with you as a lucky charm and talisman?

Only at important appointments and special events, such as at the theater, is he there.

Why does the teddy have such high value for you?

I received it as a gift over 30 years ago from my mother, who tragically passed away 13 years ago. Since her death, the bear has been a kind of connection to her. Since then, I've taken it with me on trips, to important business meetings, and special occasions.

Does the bear fit in every handbag?

I often carried it in the inside pocket of my jacket when I wore a suit. That was another nice thing about it.

That's probably where the bear's name comes from. I read that his name is "Mini", right?

That name immediately caught my attention. I have several of these little living creatures, and they've all been given a name that has something to do with them.

Do you have a whole collection of stuffed animals?

Mini also has a brother with whom he is always out and about, but now it's all about Mini.

Have you ever lost it before?

No, for the very first time!

What does Mini's brother say?

Of course he is very sad at home.

And Mini has such great emotional value for you that you've now increased the reward from 1,000 to 5,000 euros?

That's right. Because so far, we've mostly received tips about where pickpockets in Berlin sift through their loot and possibly discard what they don't need in the surrounding bushes. But we haven't received any more tips, so we've come up with the idea of increasing the reward after seven weeks so that it might also be interesting for the thief, if they hear about it in the newspaper or through flyers, in the sense of: 'Okay, I'm going to double the profit now.'

This could well be worthwhile for the thief.

This way, he wouldn't have to reveal himself as a thief, but could simply say he found the bear somewhere on the side of the road. As long as he brings it back to me, he'll get the 5,000 euros.

What did the Einstein Unter den Linden actually say about the theft?

Nothing. It bounced off them like Teflon. It was more like, 'If you hang your bags over the back of your chair, it's your own fault.' To this day, there has been no message saying they're truly sorry.

Do you feel unprotected now without bears?

I'm extremely cautious these days. When I'm out and about, I always have my bag strapped to my chair or carry it on my lap. The carefree attitude I always had in Berlin is no longer there.

Do you feel like this probably wouldn't have happened in Bielefeld? Are you angry with Berlin?

No, I can't be mad at Berlin; the city itself can't be blamed for it. I still enjoy being in Berlin; we have a circle of friends there, and I absolutely love going to the State Opera. So no, the same thing could happen to you in Bielefeld if you're traveling in certain areas.

The bear has been the city's heraldic animal since the Middle Ages, and now you've lost your bear here. Isn't that strange?

Bear lost in Berlin, exactly.

Perhaps you could try again to describe your bear for the attentive readers?

Mini is twelve centimeters tall, has a light brown face, a yellow romper suit with green appliqués on his feet, a small green breast pocket, and a yellow movable hood that you can actually pull over his head.

"The bear is a bit of a daredevil. He always has to hiss, be fast, and honk."

Have you ever thought about being a detective?

I've thought about it before, but I'm ultimately stuck for where to start.

How do you feel about the reaction of Berliners, but also of people on the Internet, to your loss?

99.5 percent of the time, they're absolutely compassionate and warm. For example, a lady from southern Germany, who noticed it right from the beginning, sent me a picture she'd painted of a small stuffed bear. Or a lady from the Freiburg area sent me a large group photo of her stuffed animals, which she also considers living beings, and also wrote me some very compassionate words. The sympathy is truly enormous.

To what extent are the bears living beings for you? How can you imagine that? Above all, Mini is a living being for me. He has his character, he has his characteristics, and that's also what he inherited from me.

What features does Mini have?

He's a bit of a daredevil. He always needs to be whizzing, going fast, honking; he loves anything that's adventurous.

Now he's really gotten himself into an adventure, hasn't he?

He probably is. And if he were to see what's being done, I think he'd find that pretty cool, too.

In the best case scenario, he will have a lot to tell you when he gets back.

I'm convinced of that. (Laughs loudly and a lot.) Excuse me, my mind is already reeling just thinking about it.

As a gallery owner, you also deal with works of art. Do you feel that this has changed since you lost something so valuable?

No, I'm great at abstracting. So, there's no professional setback at all.

Do you think our society would be different if everyone appreciated the little things as much as you do your teddy bear?

Hard to say. Maybe you should let your inner child come out more often, then things might be a little easier.

A small ray of hope, I read: there's a company that has one very last bear in a yellow romper suit in its range. That sounds like a fairy tale again.

After extensive research, I found out where these bears were produced back then. It was in America, in a small private factory, and I was in contact with them. It's possible that the last model from him might still be available.

Would a replicant of Mini be an option for you?

I've kept the back door open for now, but I still believe Mini will come back on his own.