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Thieves Steal Historic Jewels Worth over $1B
Nov 25, 2019 10:31 AM
By Rapaport News
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RAPAPORT... Burglars stole jewelry, diamonds and
gemstones valued at more than $1 billion from the historic Green Vault museum in Germany on Monday morning, according to media reports.
The thieves gained access to the Dresden museum by twisting
back iron grill bars on a ground-floor window, after a nearby fire at a power
distributor likely disabled the museum’s alarm system, German news outlets said.
The Green Vault collection, which is housed in Dresden Castle, was created in the 18th
century by Saxon ruler Augustus the Strong. It contains a large assortment of
jewels, including a 648-carat sapphire, a gift from Russia’s Czar Peter the
Great. The Saxon crown jewels are also stored there. However, one of the
collection’s most valuable pieces, the 41-carat Green Diamond, is believed to
be safe, having been on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York at
the time of the heist, German newspaper Bild noted.
“Not only were the state art collections robbed, but also we
Saxons,” tweeted Saxony Minister President Michael Kretschmer. “You cannot
understand the history of Saxony without the Green Vault. The valuables here
have been hard won by the people of our free state for many centuries.”
Police have closed the museum and are searching for the
criminals.
Image: Dresden Castle in Germany, which houses the Green Vault. (Shutterstock)
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Tags:
Dresden museum, Green Diamond, Green Vault, Green Vault museum, Michael Kretschmer, Rapaport News, Saxon crown jewels
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