Several archaeological pieces from the Dacia - Empire of Gold and Silver exhibition showcasing Dacian treasures from Romania have been stolen after an explosion at the Drents Museum in the Netherlands on the night of January 24 to 25. Among them, the famous golden Helmet of Coțofenești, c.a. 450 BC, which belonged to the National History Museum of Romania, and three Dacian bracelets, according to the Dutch museum.

“Around 03:45 am, police received a report of an explosion. At the scene, it became clear that access had been gained to the property by forcing a door with explosives,” reads the press release from the Drents Museum. “Some archaeological masterpieces were captured in the property, including the gold Coțofenești helmet and three Dacian royal bracelets.”

General director of the Drents Museum, Harry Tupan, stated: ‘This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest. We are intensely shocked by the events last night at the museum. In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident. It also gives us enormous sadness towards our colleagues in Romania. The police are investigating, we are awaiting the outcome of that.”

Mayor of Assen, Marco Out, added: “After the events, there was contact with the King's Commissioner and the Deputy, who came to the scene. Several ministries are involved, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Like others, I am shocked. I naturally sympathise with the owner of these pieces, the museum in Bucharest Romania. Assen and the Drents Museum are closely linked, so I sympathise with the museum's staff and management. This is something you don't want as a museum, but also as a city and province.”

The explosion damaged the museum's premises. No one was injured and no one has yet been arrested, the museum said.

The Dutch Police said they are investigating a potentially suspicious vehicle. “Around 04:15 AM, they received a report of a car fire at the intersection of Grolloërstraat and Marwijksoord with the N33, near Rolde. No one was present at the burning vehicle. Authorities suspect that this car may be linked to the explosion and burglary at the museum. A possible scenario is that the suspects switched to another vehicle in the vicinity of the fire,” reads the official announcement.

According to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), the explosion was a deliberate act to breach the museum building, where pieces of Romania's Dacian treasure have been on display. MAE said it notified the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police. The Romanian embassies in neighboring countries have also been alerted to request assistance from local authorities.

Romanian foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu held a discussion with his Dutch counterpart, Caspar Veldkamp, emphasizing the exceptional cultural and symbolic significance of the stolen pieces and highlighting the "profound emotional impact this incident generates in Romania."

"The Dutch side has provided assurances of a clear and urgent commitment at both operational and political levels to resolve the case. The concern is shared, and assurances have been received that the Dutch authorities are trying to recover these pieces. The Dutch police have activated the cross-border cooperation mechanism and informed Interpol," reads the MAE statement.

According to Biziday.ro, Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu, director of the National History Museum of Romania, told local news station Digi24 that the exhibition was scheduled to close on Sunday and that museum staff were set to travel to the Netherlands to pack and bring the displayed collection back to Romania. He also stated that, based on the information he received, the thieves broke through the only exterior wall of a reinforced concrete building and went directly to the display cases containing the Dacian artifacts.

The exhibition opened at the Drents Museum last July and was supposed to end its doors on January 26, 2025. Due to the events of last night, the museum announced that it is closed for the entire weekend.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Drents Museum)