The Washington Post has an in-depth article up on my favorite German Robin Hoods, the group that calls itself Hamburg for Free. Dressed as super heroes, the group steals food from gourmet grocery stores for the city’s poor.

So who are the four members?

“Superflex is familiar with every type of job contract: part time, full time, internship. All the stress led him to a pleasant mutation of his molecules.”

“Operaistorix survived the last few years with the help of his unemployment module.”

“Spider Mum’s mutant body developed somewhere between the kindergarten and unpaid and paid cleaning jobs. In her hands, Ajax and a mop turn into merciless weapons.”

“Santa Guevara dodges all control checks and disappears without a trace. With this power, he is able to escape from the boredom of call centers and university seminars.”

The Post also spoke with the owner of the store they stole from; he, of course, sees them as anything but super:

“How many poor people will really enjoy a bottle of champagne or a high-value cheese?” he asks. “I think the object was just to get in the newspapers and get publicity for their ideas. To help the poor people, there is a right way and a wrong way. You cannot use the voice of Robin Hood to promote yourself.”

In reality, he says, the caper was much more low-key than the gang’s braggadocio suggested. A conspirator in street clothes performed a reconnaissance mission to the store ahead of time, Sievers says, and stuffed several hand-held shopping baskets with groceries. The baskets were placed unnoticed on the floor near the store’s front entrance. When the costumed performers arrived on the scene, they ducked in for only an instant to snatch the baskets and flee without a word. More like cowardly crooks than superheroes, Sievers sniffs.

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