If someone finds an english article about this, feel free to add.
http://www.n-tv.de/panorama/Weltkrie...e15433571.html
An older gentleman, who was known as an avid collector of WW2-era weaponry for years, has apparently moved into the focus of the authorities recently.
According to officials, he has a rather large basement area below his villa where he kept a Panther tank, an 8,8 gun, a torpedo and several other pieces of Wehrmacht equipment. The authorities are investigating on the grounds of a breach of the "Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz" (law concerning the control of weapons of war (german composite nouns ftw!)). According to his lawyer all of the equipment has been demilitarized, therefore it doesn't fall under said law anymore. The paperwork is all there, said his lawyer.
Nevertheless, the authorities saw fit to confiscate and remove the equipment preemptively.
While collecting militaria of this size is a bit excentric, it's again a fine example of the tendency of german authorities to act first, think later imo. Checking whether the equipment is demilitarized could have been done in situ as well. Should he be cleared, the stuff will have to be returned and the govt. is facing a lawsuit for damage compensation (equipment and driveway damaged) in addition for the cost of the removal (2 wreckers and several other military vehicles used). Tax money
That said: the Panther seems to be in a well-kept condition, except for the missing tracks.
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