MUNICH, West Germany -- A man convicted of damaging 23 works of art in 1977, including three Rembrandts, splashed acid on three paintings by German artist Albrecht Durer and surrendered to authorities, police said Friday.
Hans-Joachim Bohlmann, 51, who was sentenced to five years in prison in 1979 for damaging 23 masterpieces in seven West Germany cities, carried out the latest attack in front of students visiting the Alte Pinakothek museum.
Bohlmann told police he traveled from his home in Hamburg to Munich to damage the art works to protest money he had to pay from his government pension for restitution for the attacks he made in 1977.
Hubertus von Sonnenburg, the general director of the state of Bavaria's art collections, estimated the total value of the three Durer works damaged in Thursday's acid attack at $59.9 million.
The Alte Pinakothek museum said it could take years to restore the paintings, which were defaced by brown patches. They were taken Friday to the nearby laboratory in the Doerner Institute for restoration.
The museum identified the paintings as the 'Maria als Schmerzensmutter,' the 'Paumgartner Altar' and the 'Beweinung Christi.' Damage ranged from 25 to 75 percent.
At his trial in Hamburg in 1979, Bohlmann said he wanted to destroy things other people love.
In the latest attack, Bohlmann took out two small bottles of acid and splashed the liquid on the works hanging in a room devoted to works of the German painter and engraver, who died in 1528 at the age of 57.
He then went to a guard in an outer room and asked to be arrested.
Between February and October 1977, Bolhmann damaged 23 works of art, including three Rembrandts, and paintings by Rubens, Cranach, Paul Klee and Thomas Herbst, in museums and churches.
After his arrest Thursday, Bohlmann told police he left school in the seventh grade and never learned a trade because he could not concentrate.