Queue patiently, put your bag, jacket and belongings in a plastic container to have them scanned for pointed, sharp objects or liquids you may be carrying, pass through a lock and, if in doubt, be scanned – that’s roughly how the insurance company presents itself Allianz presents the future of museum visits.
While numerous museums, at the request of the SZ, still expressly ruled out security measures such as those at the airport last month, Eric Wolzenburg, head of the art insurance department at Allianz Versicherungs-AG, sees no alternative. After the controversial protest actions by climate protectionists in several art museums, Allianz was reported to have suffered damage of around 15,000 euros or more, Wolzenburg reports to the German Press Agency.
Houses allow risks to be assessed
A mid double-digit number of museums are insured with the company or with consortiums with Allianz. The climate activists’ attacks on paintings have not yet had an impact on insurance premiums, but Wolzenburg does not dare to predict whether this will remain the case. The head of the art insurance department only reveals that many institutions are currently having their risks assessed and wanted to discuss possible countermeasures.
Insurance groups such as Allianz AG can contractually prescribe security measures for museums. As a rule, this involves the use of selected intruder alarm systems, which you determine together with the Association of German Damage Insurers. But airport-like security checks, such as those Wolzenburg has in mind, could also become a condition of the insurance, according to Allianz, in the contracts that are renewed every year.