The history of art heists

Published: April 12, 2024, 11:30 p.m.

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week\u2019s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.

It's 30 years since Edvard Munch\u2019s painting, The Scream, was stolen from the national gallery in Oslo, Norway. We hear from the man who helped to recover it.

Our expert guest is historian and author, Susan Ronald, who explores the history of art heists in the 20th century.

Plus, a first hand account from Kampala terror attacks in 2010 and the mystery of St Teresa of Avila's severed hand.

Finally, we hear about the last World War II soldier to surrender. Hiroo Onoda was an Imperial Japanese Army intelligence officer who spent nearly 30 years in the Philippine jungle, believing World War Two was still going on.

Contributors:\nKuddzu Isaac - DJ and Kampala terror attack survivor\nCharley Hill - Scotland Yard art detective and private investigator\nSusan Ronald - historian and author\nSister Jenifer - the Mother Superior of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy, Ronda\nHiroo Onoda - Japanese WWII soldier\nChristos and Ioanna Kotsikas - residents of Thessaly, Greece

(Photo: The Scream. Credit: Getty Images)