Museum - Investigation continues after the theft of Celtic gold treasure
Despite the arrest of several suspects last summer, the investigation into the major gold theft in Manching will continue for some time. The Ingolstadt public prosecutor's office points out that it is not only investigating the burglary of the Manching Celtic Roman Museum. It is also dealing with numerous other cases of burglary, emphasized senior public prosecutor Veronika Grieser.
In November 2022, several people broke into the museum in Upper Bavaria at night and stole the unique Celtic gold treasure that was the showpiece of the building. The approximately 2100-year-old collection of almost 500 coins was unearthed in Manching in 1999. This is considered to be the largest Celtic gold find of the past century. However, only part of the loot was recovered from the suspected perpetrators.
In July, the special commission of the Bavarian State Office of Criminal Investigation arrested four men aged between 42 and 50 from the Schwerin area (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) and Berlin. The suspects are in custody.
Extensive investigation due to many leads
The quartet is being investigated for aggravated gang theft because the suspects are believed to be responsible for several similar crimes. "Due to a large number of leads and other evidence, the investigation is therefore very complex," said Grieser. The investigation will therefore continue.
Investigators were put on the trail of the men because burglary tools were found in a pond near the museum. A DNA trace was found on it. This led to corresponding traces in a series of burglaries throughout Germany and in one case also in Austria.
Most of the loot is still missing
18 lumps of gold were found on one of the accused men, which, according to the investigations so far, were the result of melting down around 70 of the antique coins. It is unclear where the rest is.
The pure gold value of the treasure is only a few hundred thousand euros, whereas the collector's value of the historical coins is already in the millions. However, the outstanding exhibits are unlikely to be sold on the commercial market. For scientists, the value of the archaeological collection is immeasurable anyway, as the gold treasure cannot be replaced. "This was also an attack on our cultural memory," said Bavaria's Minister of Art Markus Blume (CSU) about the crime.
LKA press release on the arrest of the suspects Search page of the LKA
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- The investigation into the gold theft in Upper Bavaria's Manching, which involved the theft of a significant Celtic gold treasure from the local museum, is still ongoing, despite several arrests last summer.
- Senior public prosecutor Veronika Grieser from the Ingolstadt public prosecutor's office is spearheading the investigation, which also encompasses numerous other burglary cases across Germany.
- In July, four men aged between 42 and 50 from Schwerin and Berlin were arrested by the Bavarian State Office of Criminal Investigation on charges of aggravated gang theft.
- The complexity of the investigation is due to a large number of leads and evidence, as stated by Grieser, making the process time-consuming.
- The alleged perpetrators are suspected of being responsible for several similar crimes across Germany and even Austria, with burglary tools found near the museum providing a crucial lead.
- Although a portion of the loot, including 18 gold lumps, was found on one of the suspects, most of the unique Celtic gold treasure remains missing.
- Bavaria's Minister of Art, Markus Blume (CSU), has labeled the theft as an attack on cultural memory, underscoring the immeasurable value of the archaeological collection to historians.
Source: www.stern.de
