THE RECENT THEFT of a skull belonging to an infamous Baltic pirate executed 600 years ago has been linked to a German chapter of the Hells Angels.
Bloodthirsty crook Klaus Störtebeker was decapitated in October 1401 for his involvement in piracy, along with the rest of his crew. Like Robin Hood, Störtebeker is now revered as a hero by many; he has a statue honouring him in Hamburg and a brewery in Stralsund named after him. Many modern rebels hold the decapitated pirate in high regard, including some of Germany's notorious motorcycle gangs.
Hamburg Police now believe biker gang warfare is responsible for the theft of Störtebeker's head, after another skull was placed outside the offices of a local newspaper office with “No Tacos” written on its crown. “Tacos” is slang for the biker group Bandidos, which is challenging the Hells Angels for control over northern Germany’s lucrative drugs trade, reports today's Times newspaper.
“The skull is an important relic of Hamburg history,” Lisa Kosok, the director of the Hamburg Museum, said. “It is priceless."
