Germany's Green Vault Museum jewellery heist; six on trial

The State Court of Dresden had scheduled the hearings to commence on 28 January against the suspects, aged 22 to 28, on charges of organised robbery and arson, as reported by the German DPA news agency.

State prosecutors against the suspects filed the charges in September last year. 

On 25 November 2019, thieves forced their way into Dresden’s Gruenes Gewoelbe, or Green Vault Museum, making off with more than 100 pieces of historic jewellery and precious stones including the 49-carat Dresden White Diamond.

To date, none of the stolen pieces have been recovered, which were estimated to be valued at €1 billion ($AUD1.56 billion).

The suspects reportedly set fire to a nearby electricity junction box to cut power to the museum before staging the break-in. Despite the arrests, none of the suspects claimed responsibility for the crime.

Considered one of Europe’s greatest treasures, The Green Vault was built in 1723 and is believed to be one of the oldest museums in the world.

Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and later King of Poland, assembled the museum’s artefacts during the 18th Century.

One of the Green Vault’s most famous pieces, the 41-carat Dresden Green Diamond, was on loan to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art when the break-in occurred and narrowly missed being stolen. 
 

STOLEN & UNRECOVERED

Countless valuable historical pieces were stolen and not covered by insurance – to date, none of the stolen pieces have been recovered. Image: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Pictured is the Jewel Room of the Green Vault museum which is open to the public. The thieves targeted three sets of items in their heist. Image: David Brandt, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Safe and sound: Narrowly escaping the heist was the famous 41-carat Dresden Green diamond set in a hat ornament designed by Franz Michael Diespach and André Jacques Pallard. Image: Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

WATCH HEIST

BACKGROUND: SUSPECTS ARRESTED in 2020

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