Statement Drents Museum

On 25 January 2025, the Golden Helmet of Coțofenești and three gold bracelets were stolen from our museum with unprecedented brutal force. It was an attack unlike anything previously seen in the international museum world. Our Romanian colleagues have clearly articulated the importance of the stolen artefacts in their statement, and we wholeheartedly associate ourselves with that view. This is not about the monetary value of the objects, but about their extraordinarily great cultural significance. The shockwave that followed the raid across Romania, the Netherlands and the rest of the world was immense. To those responsible, we wish to say this: realise how much grief and pain you have inflicted upon millions of people—through the theft itself and subsequently through the months of uncertainty surrounding the fate of the helmet and the bracelets.

For our colleagues in Romania and for our own colleagues here in Assen, a horrific period has now largely come to an end. They are individuals who work with dedication and passion every single day, committed wholeheartedly to carrying out our mission with care and enthusiasm. That mission is to make art accessible to as many people as possible and to show visitors the finest examples of human civilisation. For our colleagues, the theft felt like a personal attack. But that attack will not stop us from fulfilling our mission. We demonstrate that every day.

The Golden Helmet and two of the three bracelets have now been returned, and we are extremely grateful to the national and international investigative services for this. Our experts are in contact with our Romanian colleagues to determine how best to restore the damage sustained by the helmet. Our urgent appeal at this moment is: also return the third bracelet. Only then can this dreadful period truly be brought to a close for many people. This is cultural heritage that belongs to no one individual, but to everyone. Show remorse—to all of us.