On January 25, 2025, criminals broke into the museum and stole the main exhibits from the “Dacia—Empire of Gold and Silver” exhibition. Among them were a gold helmet from Cotofenesti dating to the 5th century B.C.E.—one of the most famous symbols of Romania’s ancient cultural heritage—as well as Dacian gold spiral bracelets discovered by archaeologists in ritual burials.
The theft sparked a sharp reaction in Bucharest, the AP reports. Then-Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu demanded an explanation regarding the museum’s security measures and sent a team of experts, including forensic specialists, to the Netherlands to assist with the investigation. In Romania, an investigation was launched into the circumstances surrounding the transfer of the artifacts to a foreign exhibition, which resulted in the resignation of the director of the National Museum of History.
The suspects were arrested shortly after the robbery, but the fate of the treasures remained unknown for several months. A breakthrough in the investigation came in April when two of the defendants, as part of a plea deal, returned a gold helmet—which had sustained minor damage—and two bracelets. The third suspect in the case, 35-year-old Bernhard Z., refused to admit guilt, claiming that the investigation lacks evidence of his presence in the museum at the time of the theft. The prosecution is seeking a harsher sentence for him.
A prison term of nearly four years is considered relatively harsh by Dutch standards, where property crimes typically receive lighter sentences. The court emphasized that this was not only a case of grand theft but also of damage to objects of exceptional historical and cultural value.
The Drenthe Museum has already paid Romania $6.5 million in insurance compensation. Following the return of some of the artifacts, it remains unclear whether the issue of compensation will be reconsidered. Another question also remains open: will this case affect future international exhibitions where countries lend their most valuable historical relics abroad?
