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Investigation still in full swing
The police investigation into the stolen archaeological masterpieces from our museum is in full swing. Many tips have been received from the public. We are eagerly awaiting developments. We are still hopeful that the objects will be recovered.
Update 10 feb: A joint investigation team (JIT) has been set up by Romania and the Netherlands to investigate the theft. The JIT has been set up with the active support of Eurojust, which will provide operational, logistic and legal assistance to the investigators in the case.
The theft that took place in our museum in the night of 24 to 25 January has deeply affected many people; in Romania, but also here in Assen. We are extremely grateful for all the expressions of support we have received. On this page we provide an overview of the current state of affairs.
1. What has happened?
On the night of 24 to 25 January, 2025, there was a violent break-in at the Drents Museum, where the major exhibition Dacia – Empire of Gold and Silver was on display at that time. At around 3:45 AM that night, the police received a report of an explosion. On site, it became clear that burglars had gained access to the building by forcing a door with explosives.
Four objects were stolen during the break-in: the golden Coțofenești helmet from around 450 BCE and three golden bracelets from around 50 BCE, from the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest.
2. What is the status of the investigation?
The Drents Museum is of course fully cooperating with the police investigation. The police have created a page where all information about the burglary and the investigation is bundled.
We have great respect for the investigative authorities who have handled this terrible case so effectively and are eagerly awaiting further developments. Recovering the looted art objects intact would be a fantastic next step for all concerned, not only for us, but especially for the Romanian people.
The Dutch TV program Opsporing Verzocht on Tuesday January 28th paid attention to this case. You can watch the broadcast again on the Opsporing Verzocht website.
On January 29th, three arrests were made in North Holland. The police have also released 3 photos of a fourth man who is being sought as part of the investigation. View these via the link below.
3. What kind of museum is the Drents Museum?
The Drents Museum has been located in the capital of the province of Drenthe, Assen, since 1854 and is known for its major international exhibitions in the field of archaeology, art and history. In 2024, the new collection presentation Labyrinthia was presented, with the oldest boat in the world and the Drenthe works of Vincent van Gogh as top pieces.
The museum complex consists of a number of buildings from different periods that are interconnected. The last major extension dates from 2011: the exhibition hall (Singelzaal) by the Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat. This modern hall meets all professional requirements for displaying international loans.
The museum is known nationally and internationally as a renowned and professional museum. It collaborates with well-known (inter)national museums and receives top pieces on loan from them for major exhibitions. For example, in recent decades it has exhibited the famous Chinese Terracotta Army, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nebra Disc, unique objects from Pompeii, treasures from Guatemala, Iran, Nubia, Armenia and paintings by famous artists such as Kazimir Malevich, Edward Hopper, Ilya Repin, Frida Kahlo, Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh.
The museum is affiliated with the Dutch Museum Association (NMV) and is a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). It founded the European museum network European Exhibition Network (E.E.N.), a collaboration of similar museums in Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, England and Sweden.
In recent years, the museum has received several international awards, including the audience award of the Global Fine Art Awards, the Dutch Exhibition Award and a special mention at the German Design Award.
The museum attracts almost 200,000 visitors from all over the country each year, especially from the Randstad. Since the Singelzaal was opened in 2011, it has received approximately 2.4 million visitors.
4. Do you have a tip?
The police urgently appeal to anyone who has a tip in this case.
Do you know more about the explosion and burglary or do you have other information that could be important for the investigation? Then contact the police. A page has been set up on the police website about this case. It contains telephone numbers and other contact details that you can use to pass on tips.
5. Thank you for all the support
In recent days, we have received many expressions of support from residents and entrepreneurs in Drenthe and messages from people at home and abroad. We would like to thank everyone for their support.
We have received a lot of support from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the province of Drenthe and the municipality of Assen, who have supported us in every possible way during this terrible event. On Friday 31 January, we welcomed Minister Eppo Bruins of Education, Culture and Science to the museum. He spoke to management and some of our staff about the impact of these events on our staff.
We also received a lot of support and encouraging words from the Dutch Museum Association and from Dutch and international museum colleagues. Everyone is shocked and sympathizes with us and the National History Museum of Romania.