Stephane Breitwieser

Stephane Breitwieser was a French art thief who admitted to stealing 239 artworks and other exhibits from museums worth an estimated US$1.4 billion while travelling around Europe and working as a waiter.

He is different from most other art thieves in that he did not steal for any profit motive. He was an art connoisseur who stole in order to build a vast personal collection, particularly of 16th- and 17th-Century masters. At his trial, the magistrate quoted him as saying "I enjoy art. I love such works of art. I collected them and kept them at home." Despite the enormity of his collection, he was still able to recall every piece he stole. He interrupted the lengthy reading of his collection during his trial several times to correct various details.

His first theft came in March of 1995 during a visit to the mediӕval castle at Gruyères, Switzerland with his girlfriend Anne-Catherine Kleinklauss. He became entranced with a small painting by