HistoryNet The scenic seaside resort town of Heikendorf Germany is now world famous thanks to an eccentric pensioner who amassed a World War II arsenal in his home—including a monstrous 40-ton tank now known as the “Panther of Heikendorf,” he kept stowed in the cellar which following its menacing World War II career turned up in a junkyard in southern England was brought to Germany via the Netherlands in 1977 Following repairs at a workshop in Solingen the collector reportedly installed the mammoth war machine in his basement in the 1980s The 84-year-old former financier, named only as Klaus-Dieter F. by German sources, also managed to store a torpedo, an 88 mm flak cannon, 70 assault rifles and machine guns, an unspecified number of semi and fully automatic pistols, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at his quiet suburban mansion The items were reportedly no longer functional.  The tank was placed in a central hollowed space in what appeared to be a permanent installation The man’s neighbors claim that the tank’s presence was openly known in the community Various local residents alleged that Klaus-Dieter drove the armored vehicle in town and they expressed a sense of resignation to his eccentricities Authorities were alerted in 2005 when local government officials of the Public Order Office conducted an inspection and stumbled across the hoard Debates among various ministries about licenses and legalities ensued and no actions were taken to remove the weapons swastika pennants and SS rune-shaped lamps They also found an Arno Breker bronze sculpture of a nude man once reputedly located outside Hitler’s Reich Chancellery The collector also owned a replica of a V-1 rocket Dismantling Klaus-Dieter’s fortress-like abode was a military operation in itself. In 2015 it took 20 Bundeswehr soldiers about nine hours to extract the Panther tank from his cellar The undertaking required six Pionierpanzer Dachs AEVs (armored engineering vehicles) positioned at different angles in the garden to hoist the sunken World War II killing machine with winches Concerns were raised that the collector had violated Germany’s War Weapons Control Act, sparking an ongoing public debate about the fine line of distinction between collectors’ items and military weapons. Klaus-Dieter himself was reportedly upset that his items may have been damaged during their removal The drama continues to unfold in courtrooms. As of July 2021, it is reported that Klaus-Dieter is obligated to break up his formidable collection and find new owners for his antique weapons. That will likely prove a simple task—many other collectors have shown eagerness to lighten his load, including a U.S. museum that has expressed interest in buying the now-notorious “Panther of Heikendorf.” German legislators continue to debate whether the trove violated the War Weapons Control Act with the defense arguing that most of the weapons were non-functional and prosecutors contending that some objects could still be used The court is expected to reach a decision in August.  MH Zita is the editor of both Military History Quarterly and Vietnam Magazine She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in military history She received an award from the National Federation of Press Women in 2022 for her editing work on Vietnam Magazine She has written numerous military history books articles and book reviews and is also an award-winning author Her book “Bernard Montgomery’s Art of War” won a Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America She is fluent in German and is a member of the U.K Her areas of interest include the Vietnam War and World Wars I and II Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earhart’s disappearance how Wild Bill Donovan shaped the American intelligence community During the 1835–42 Second Seminole War and as Army scouts out West these warriors from the South proved formidable “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the world’s largest publisher of history magazines photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians sign me up! a collection that included a 1943 40-ton tank aptly known as the “Panther of Heikendorf” and an 88 mm anti-aircraft cannon The defendant, named only as Klaus-Dieter F. in German reports — as German privacy laws restrict full identification — was ordered to pay a €250,000 fine The defendant reportedly purchased and restored the tank in late 1970s when it was brought to Germany after sitting untouched in an English junkyard for decades wasn’t shy about showcasing his prized possession the defendant drove it on multiple occasions even using it as a snow plow during a particularly harsh winter The 84-year-old former financier had his house raided in 2015 after authorities saw some of the artifacts while conducting searches for stolen Nazi art 70 rifles and machine guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition Most items were determined to be non-operational the collection was classified as museum items In addition to the weapons cache, the 2015 search turned up an array of Nazi memorabilia, including busts of Hitler It took nearly nine hours for two dozen soldiers from the German army to remove the items from the house numerous U.S.-based museums have expressed interest in purchasing the tank which was ordered to be donated to a museum or licensed collector as part of the sentencing Simkins is the executive editor of Military Times and Defense News and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War An 84-year-old man from Germany has been convicted of illegal weapons possession and has been fined €250,000 ($293,972) along with a suspended prison sentence of 14 months.  An investigation into the man's home in Heikendorf in 2015 revealed a World War II-era Panther tank as well as a plethora of ammunition.  the prosecutors convinced the court that the weapons could still be used The armaments were discovered in the retiree's basement in 2015 after local authorities were informed of its war-time contents after the property was searched for Nazi-era art, according to the BBC.  It took 20 soldiers nine hours to remove the trove of military hardware from the unnamed man's home At the time of the raid, the mayor of Heikendorf, Alexander Orth, told Suddeutsche Zeitung that the man once drove the tank as a snow plow in 1978.  When asked his thoughts on the ownership of the tank