Over 31 Artifacts Recovered After 3 Years from German Museum Robbed of 1 Trillion Won Worth of Jewelry

2019 Dresden Gruene Gewoelbe Museum Loses Trillion-Won Worth of Jewels
Six Suspects Arrested in 2020, Trial Currently Underway

One of the jewels from the Gr?nes Gew?lbe Museum in Dresden, Germany, stolen in 2019 and later recovered. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] A significant portion of the high-value 18th-century jewels stolen en masse from a museum in Dresden, Germany, three years ago has been recovered.

On the 17th (local time), the British Guardian reported that German police recovered 31 pieces of 18th-century jewelry stolen from the Gr?nes Gew?lbe Museum in 2019 in Berlin, the capital of Germany.

At the time of the theft in November 2019, the thieves broke into the museum at night and stole jewels collected by the Electors of the Kingdom of Saxony in the 18th century. They broke down the door and stole valuables including 21 jewels from the collection of Augustus II the Strong, decorated with more than 4,300 diamonds. Among the stolen jewels were a shoulder belt including the 49-carat Dresden White Diamond and a diamond-adorned sword.

At the time of the theft, local media quoted experts estimating the value of the missing jewels to be up to 1 trillion won, calling the incident "the worst art theft since World War II." German police offered a reward of 500,000 euros (approximately 650 million won) for information leading to the investigation.

The perpetrators were arrested in November 2020, one year after the crime. All six involved were German nationals of Arab descent, aged between 23 and 28, and related by family. At the time of the arrest, German police mobilized 1,600 officers to raid 10 apartments, garages, and 18 assets including cars in Berlin to apprehend the suspects.

The Guardian reported that recently, the defense attorneys and prosecutors involved in the case had discussions, which led to the recovery of the 31 jewels. Specific details such as the method of recovery or hiding places have not yet been disclosed. The police sent the recovered jewels back to the original Gr?nes Gew?lbe Museum, and the jewels will soon undergo examination to verify their authenticity.

The trial of the defendants began in January this year, and the hearing will resume on the 20th.