We demonstrate the role of Drinfeld's quantum double D(G) as a spontaneously broken hidden symmetry in a large class of massive quantum field theories in 1+1 dimensions with compact symmetry group G. Our considerations are independent of exact integrability. The main technical ingredient is an assumption concerning the statistical independence of fields localized in spacelike separated regions which should hold in all reasonable massive models. The present note is an abridged version of hep-th/9606175.