Berlin – German authorities have recovered some of the 18th-century royal jewels stolen from the Green Vault museum in Dresden, Germany, in November 2019, although key pieces are still missing.
In a statement, local police said they had found 31 items in Berlin, some of which are believed to be intact, including the Polish Order of the White Eagle’s breast star and a hat ornament.
An epaulette with the famous “Dresden White Diamond” and the large bustle of Queen Amalie Auguste are still missing.The recovered jewels have been returned to Dresden for forensic examination by the police. Specialists from the Dresden State Art Collections will verify their authenticity and condition.
Police did not disclose where the jewels were found in Berlin because the investigation, known as “Operation Epaulette”, is still active.
In September 2021, six suspects, German nationals aged between 22 and 27, were charged with organised robbery and arson after allegedly breaking into the museum and stealing jewellery with an insured value of at least $135 million.
The suspects are believed to have started a fire to cut power to the street lights outside the museum before breaking in. They also set fire to a car in a nearby garage.
Their trial began in January and is ongoing, with another session scheduled for this week.
Authorities said before the jewels were recovered that prosecutors and the defence were in “exploratory talks” about reaching a settlement that would include the return of the jewels.
Marion Ackermann, director of the Dresden State Art Collections, said at the time of the theft that the jewels’ true value couldn’t be measured.
“We cannot give a value because it is impossible to sell them,” she told reporters. “The material value doesn’t reflect the historical significance.”
Michael Kretschmer, the prime minister of Saxony, the German state where Dresden is located, commented on the robbery on Twitter at the time, saying: “Not only the state art collections were robbed, but also we Saxons.”
“You can’t understand the history of Saxony without the Green Vault,” he said.
The Green Vault is one of the oldest museums in the world, founded in 1723 by Augustus the Strong of Saxony, who wanted to establish Dresden as a centre of art.
His treasury, housed in Dresden’s Royal Palace, contains 4,000 jewels, works of art and other historically significant objects.
The museum’s most famous treasure is the Dresden Green Diamond, a 41-carat green diamond that was on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for an exhibition at the time of the robbery.
