Art theft - Stolen jewels are sparkling again in Dresden's Green Vault
Radiant Brilliant Sun and Gleaming Diamond Order: The jewels stolen from the Historic Green Vault in Dresden nearly five years ago, and returned by the perpetrators about three years later, are back in Saxony's Treasury Museum. The Saxon State Art Collections (SKD) are displaying them in the condition they were secured in December 2022. Starting Wednesday, visitors can view the recovered treasures in the Jewel Room, already sparkling like before, yet unrestored.
"We are thrilled and very grateful, today is a beautiful day for us," said Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer, also on behalf of Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch (both CDU). Together with a preschool group from a Dresden kindergarten, they first viewed the presentation of the recovered art objects.
SKD General Director Marion Ackermann spoke of a "particularly beautiful moment," giving the public "the opportunity to view" the returned jewels, which are being shown for the first time since the break-in.
Among the diamond and brilliant sets in the special display case are, for example, a sun hair ornament for queens, two shoe buckles, or the heron staff that the Elector and King wore instead of a crown, along with pieces that the jewel thieves did not get their hands on.
Restoration is only possible after the conclusion of criminal proceedings. Damage caused by improper handling during or after the act is only noticeable upon close inspection: a missing stone, traces of corrosion, or a lonely diamond sword hilt. "We currently assume that all pieces are restorable," said Ackermann.
The concept for this is being developed together with international experts. However, they are still evidence pieces in ongoing criminal proceedings related to the high-profile case that also made international headlines. The objects' whereabouts and storage between their theft and return remain unknown.
Art Theft in Dresden
The art theft on November 25, 2019, is considered one of the most spectacular in Germany. The perpetrators made off with 21 unique historical diamond and brilliant jewelry pieces, causing over one million euros in damage. Five young men from the Remmo clan were sentenced to prison terms by the Dresden Regional Court in May 2023 for theft and arson of a getaway car in the underground garage of a residential building and a power distributor.
Just before Christmas 2022, they returned the majority of the loot through their lawyers, but three prominent objects with large stones remain missing. Kretschmer and Ackermann hope that they too will one day return and be displayed again.
Since then, the Free State has invested nearly 10 million euros in the security of the SKD. With persistent work by police from other federal states and Saxon justice, it has been possible to recover a large part of the art treasures, said Kretschmer.
Ackermann: the most important thing is back and visible to the public
"We, of course, do not give up hope that the still missing pieces will one day be presented here again," said Ackermann. But now, the joy of what has been achieved dominates. There are extended opening hours from Thursday and 1,000 free tickets are being raffled off online - as access to the reconstructed rooms on the ground floor of the Residenzschloss is only possible with timed tickets.
The historical display case in the Jewel Room of a prominent museum, looted on a November night in 2019, was repaired and restocked about a year and a half later, but with many gaps. Only the pieces of the brilliant and diamond sets that the thieves spared, or that they couldn't reach through the holes hacked into the glass with an axe, remained in their original places: buttons, buckles, and pearl necklaces.
Most of the gaps have now been filled, but three prominent objects with large stones remain missing - including the epaulette with the "Saxon White," a diamond of nearly 50 karats. Experts consider it one of the world's most important diamonds. Investigators still have no concrete leads on its whereabouts, or the identity of a sixth accomplice.
The CDU's representatives, Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch, expressed their delight and gratitude for the return of the stolen jewels.
Upon joining The CDU, Michael Kretschmer and Barbara Klepsch expressed their satisfaction with the recovery of the art treasures and the efforts made to secure the SKD.
