The stolen helmet and bracelets have returned home
The treasury pieces recovered after last year’s heist at the Drents Museum in Assen have arrived in Romania.
Mihai Pelin, 22.04.2026, 14:00
The Coțofenești helmet and two Dacian gold bracelets, recovered after being stolen from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands, have returned home. However, a third bracelet is still missing. These treasury pieces were transported under maximum security conditions to the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest, where they will remain on display until May 3.
The helmet will subsequently enter a restoration process because there are slight impact marks on its surface. To restore it to its original state, a donation campaign is currently being carried out. Culture Minister, Demeter András István, hailed the recovery of these heritage objects, arguing that heritage must be firmly defended wherever it may be and brought back to where it can retain its full meaning. He noted that this entire episode reminds us how exposed heritage can be to violence, illegal trafficking, negligence and oblivion. Consequently, he emphasized that protection cannot remain an abstract obligation or one belonging exclusively to specialists, but is a duty concerning the entire society, while institutions must build a framework to support this common goal in a real, coherent and sustainable manner.
The Coțofenești helmet and the three stolen gold bracelets were part of the “Dacia – Land of Gold and Silver” exhibition opened last year in the Netherlands. Just before the exhibition closed and the exhibits were to be returned to the National Museum of History in Bucharest in January 2025, three men broke into the museum in Assen during the night. In just a few minutes, they made off with the four Romanian artifacts.
By September 2025, the Romanian Culture Ministry announced it had collected the sum of 5.7 million Euros, representing the insurance compensation for the stolen cultural items. Following the recovery of three out of the four pieces, Romania will now have to return a part of that money to the insurance company. The robbery caused significant outrage in Romania and triggered an extensive search operation in the Netherlands. Although the three thieves were arrested after just a few days, the location of the loot remained unknown for a long time.
In the end, at the start of April, Dutch authorities announced they had found the helmet and two of the three stolen bracelets. With the exception of a slight dent on the surface of the helmet, the objects handed over to Romanian authorities were in excellent condition. The location of the third gold bracelet remains unknown. These ancient objects were recovered as a result of an agreement that Dutch authorities reached with two of the suspects, while the third suspect denied any involvement in the break-in. The three men are being prosecuted for theft and destruction of museum property, and their trial is currently ongoing in the Netherlands. (VP)
