One of the most dramatic art thefts in post-war Germany occurred on the night of November 25, 2019 at the Green Vault in Dresden’s Royal Palace. Two masked men broke into the museum and smashed the display cases in the Pretiosensaal, which housed exquisite 18th-century diamond jewelry. They made off with 21 pieces valued at an estimated 100 million euros.
See also: Five Sentenced in Green Vault Heist
The investigation soon led to Berlin, where, over the following years, several members of the Remmo clan were arrested. During the trial, the suspects returned 31 items, including complete sets and individual pieces corresponding to those stolen.
See also: 31 Stolen Objects from the Dresden Jewel Heist are Recovered
These 31 objects have now been restored to their original display location in the Green Vault. A press event was held yesterday, attended by Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer, Minister of Culture Barbara Klepsch (both CDU), and Marion Ackermann, Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD).
From the 14th of August, visitors can once again admire the restored jewels, with the museum extending its opening hours until 8 pm. To mark the occasion, the museum is also offering 1,000 free tickets.
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Despite the repaired display cases gleaming attractively, not all has been restored to its previous condition. Notably, some key pieces, such as the epaulette with the ‘Saxon White’ and Queen Amalie Auguste's large breast ribbon, are still missing. Moreover, the damaged pieces have not yet been fully restored due to an ongoing seizure by the regional court, which had to authorise the return of the jewels to the Green Vault.
See also: 10 Major Art Thefts in 10 Different Years
"While we hope to eventually exhibit the remaining jewels here in the Green Vault, we are grateful to Soko Epaulette for their continued pursuit of leads," said Marion Ackermann in a press release from SKD. "Although we cannot undo the burglary, we are dedicated to ensuring it does not happen again."
