There is great relief, almost euphoria, after the jewels stolen from the Green Vault in Dresden in November 2019 have turned up again. The head of the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD), Marion Ackermann, spoke of a “Christmas miracle”. Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) said to the police and judiciary: “Saxony says: Thank you.”
On Saturday afternoon, the investigators announced that the loot from the spectacular burglary was back. This was preceded by negotiations between the public prosecutor’s office and the defense of at least one of the six accused who have had to answer before the Dresden district court since the beginning of the year. Apparently there was a “deal”: A certain maximum sentence or the dropping of individual charges against the disclosure of the hiding place of the valuable jewels (read more about this here). According to the information, the pieces of jewelry have now been brought from Berlin to Dresden. There they will be examined in detail.
But a drop of bitterness spoils the joy of the return of the jewels. Because not all the booty is back. Only 31 individual parts were found, for example the hat decoration and the breast star of the Polish White Eagle Order from the diamond set – other jewels are missing, however. The police and public prosecutor’s office in Dresden name, among other things, the large breast bow of Queen Amalie Auguste.
According to the SKD, it dates from 1782 and is set with 51 large and 611 small diamonds. Elector Friedrich August III. had the richly studded piece of jewelry made for his wife. The diamonds weigh approximately 614 carats.
The epaulette with the “Saxon White” from the diamond set is also among the seized pieces. It was made between 1782 and 1789 and, according to the authorities, was damaged in the theft. The piece of jewelry was designed as a “representative addition to the hat clip with the ‘Dresdner Grünen’ diamond” for Elector Friedrich August III. manufactured, according to the SKD. It consists of, among other things, large, medium and smaller brilliants, silver and gold-plated silver.
It is not known how valuable the missing jewels are. The value of all the stolen goods from November 2019 with a total of 4300 diamonds and brilliants was given as at least 113 million euros. But anyway, a sale as a whole should be difficult. The fear is therefore that the pieces of jewelery were destroyed and individual diamonds were sold.
But there is still no final certainty about the seized stolen goods. Saxony’s Minister of Culture, Barbara Klepsch (CDU), said: “Now it remains to be seen what the experts will find out when they look at the pieces and what condition they are in.” SKD specialists are supposed to check the jewels for authenticity and completeness. It is not yet clear when a result will be available. And the police also put the brakes on the euphoria: a report confirming the authenticity of the pieces returned to Dresden is still missing, said a spokesman.
Sources: Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office and Police Headquarters, Dresden State Art Collections (1), Dresden State Art Collections (2), DPA news agency
