A fragment of the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry was discovered in an estate located in the State Archive of Schleswig-Holstein in the northern German city of Schleswig, according to Die Zeit. The State Archive announced that the newly found piece of tapestry came to Schleswig-Holstein during World War II.
The fragment belongs to the estate of the well-known Schleswig-Holstein textile archaeologist Karl Schlabow (1891-1984). According to the State Archive, Schlabow was commissioned as part of a German group of scientists by the SS institution "Deutsches Ahnenerbe" starting in 1941 to re-measure the Bayeux Tapestry. In the course of this work, the piece was removed from the underside of the tapestry, as stated by the State Archive.
In 1940, the medieval embroidery fell into the hands of the German occupiers, who were interested in it for racial ideological reasons, Die Zeit reported.
Further details about the find are to be announced at a press conference on March 25, as reported by Tages-Anzeiger. The return of the fragment to France is planned for this year, as the Republic of France is the owner of the tapestry.
The nearly 70-meter-long and 53-centimeter-wide tapestry is a World Documentary Heritage. The Bayeux Tapestry illustrates the Norman conquest of England in 1066 and is recognized as French cultural heritage, as stated by the State Archive.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.