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Bayeux Tapestry Fragments Returned to France After Decades
Two linen fragments removed from the Bayeux Tapestry during World War II have been returned to France by Germany, marking a meaningful moment in the ongoing history of this invaluable medieval artwork. The return highlights both the tapestry’s vulnerability and its enduring cultural importance. Published: 2026/01/17 03:50:32
The History of the Fragments’ Removal
The fragments were taken in 1941 by Karl Schlabow, a German scientist and museum director, while he was commissioned by the Nazi regime to study the tapestry’s materials. According to research by the Schleswig-Holstein state goverment, the study was part of a pseudoscientific attempt to link the tapestry to “the ancestral heritage of the Aryan race.” DW
Schlabow’s research was never published, and the fragments remained in his personal archives until their rediscovery in 2023. The fragments, each measuring one to two centimeters in length, were found on a glass plate alongside othre documents, allowing for their identification as originating from the Bayeux Tapestry. The Guardian
The Bayeux Tapestry: A Medieval Masterpiece
The Bayeux Tapestry is a 70-meter-long embroidered cloth dating back to the 11th century. It depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England in 1066, culminating in the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry is not actually a tapestry, but an embroidery, created using wool threads on a linen background. Bayeux Museum
Currently, the tapestry is undergoing renovations at the Bayeux Museum in Normandy. Prior to the renovations, and scheduled for later in 2025, it was planned to be loaned to the British Museum in London for display. The Local France
Previous Fragment Returns
This is not the first time fragments have been repatriated to France. In 1872, the Victoria and Albert Museum (formerly the South Kensington Museum) in london returned an embroidered piece of the tapestry that had been taken in 1816 by British artist Charles Stothard, who was commissioned to create a reproduction of the work.
