An explosion occurred on Saturday morning near the Drents Museum in Assen, where several objects from the Dacian treasure were exhibited, as part of the exhibition called “Dacia. The Kingdom of Gold and Silver”. Dutch prosecutors later announced that several “archaeological masterpieces from Romania were stolen”, the Dutch press reports. The museum director says that among them is the Dacian helmet from Coțofenești.
Thieves blew up an exterior wall of the Drents museum and targeted the Romanian collection.
General director of the Drents Museum, Harry Tupan: ‘This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest. We are intensely shocked by the events last night at the museum. In its 170-year existence, there has never been such a major incident. It also gives us enormous sadness towards our colleagues in Romania. The police are investigating, we are awaiting the outcome of that.’
The museum director also said that 673 pieces were on display in the exhibition, which was due to leave on Monday, January 27, for the National History Museum in Bucharest.
Mayor of Assen, Marco Out: ‘After the events, there was contact with the King’s Commissioner and the Deputy, who came to the scene. Several ministries are involved, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Like others, I am shocked. I naturally sympathise with the owner of these pieces, the museum in Bucharest Romania. Assen and the Drents Museum are closely linked, so I sympathise with the museum’s staff and management. This is something you don’t want as a museum, but also as a city and province.’
The explosion damaged the museum’s premises. No one was injured and no one has yet been arrested. The police reckon there are several suspects, it is announced on the website of Drents Museum.
The National Museum of History of Transylvania (MNIT) expresses its profound regret over the serious incident that occurred at the Drents Museum in Assen (Netherlands), where, on the morning of January 25, 2025, part of the Dacian treasure exhibited in the “Dacia! The Kingdom of Gold and Silver” exhibition was stolen. We express our solidarity with our colleagues in the Netherlands and Romania who are working tirelessly to recover these invaluable heritage items.
The exhibition opened to the public last year, in July. The exhibition curated by the National Museum of History of Romania and the Drents Museum includes items from the collections of 18 Romanian museums. The nearly 700 pieces are part of over 50 hoards and constitute the most representative selection of precious metal goods from ancient Dacia discovered so far in Romania. The last day of the exhibition is scheduled for Sunday, January 26.
The National Museum of History of Transylvania (MNIT) also participated in this international exhibition, organized by the National Museum of Romanian History, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, and hosted by the Drents Museum from July 2024 to January 2025.
From MNIT , 24 exceptional items were loaned, including:
- Two gold diadems from the Sărmășag treasure, dating back to the late Bronze Age.
- A bracelet and gold necklace elements from the Boarța treasure, Hallstatt period.
- Three silver fibulae from the Cojocna treasure, La Tène period, and a torque discovered at Sânger, also from the La Tène period.
- Goldsmith tools and molds from the jewelry workshop at Pecica, La Tène period.
- A gold engagement ring discovered at Criștești, Roman period.
“According to current information, the items loaned from the MNIT collection are not among those stolen during the robbery.
For this project, MNIT worked closely with the National Museum of Romanian History, adhering to all international security standards. The protection systems at the Drents Museum were evaluated as compliant, and the items were covered by a “wall-to-wall” insurance policy, which protects against risks such as transportation, theft, and destruction.
MNIT stands in solidarity with its partners in the Netherlands and Romania in their efforts to recover the stolen cultural assets and continues to collaborate with the authorities and international organizations involved,” said Marcu Felix, Manager of MNIT in a press statement sent to our editorial office.
Why where they there in the first place? Why to take the risk to showcase them abroad? Come to Romania to see anything you like. This travelling circus method, does not serve any more the promoting your culture . We live in a digital age.
The museum’s staff is guilty of the loss. They should be sued.