Coțofenești’s goldhelmet and two of the three bracelets stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands, in January 2025 have been found and will return to Romania. This was announced by the director of the Drents Museum, Robert van Langh, in a statement released on April 2, 2026, on the sidelines of a press conference devoted to developments in the case.
As reported by The Journal of Cultural Heritage Crime, the theft dates back to Jan. 26, 2025, on the night between Friday and Saturday, when the Drents Museum was the victim of a major heist during which a considerable amount of gold items were stolen. According to investigative sources reported by De Telegraaf, the thieves used explosives to gain access to the museum, completing the operation in just three minutes. Authorities examined surveillance camera footage and found a burned-out car nearby, which may be connected to the crime.
The museum’s previous director, Harry Tupan, had expressed deep dismay at the incident, describing the day as black for the Drents Museum and the National Museum of History in Bucharest, with which the exhibition had been organized. The artifacts had in fact been on display at the museum since the previous July, and the exhibition was supposed to end that very Sunday.
“My name is Robert van Langh and, since the end of this year, I have been the director of the Drents Museum,” said van Langh. “Today I was able to see how deeply moved, happy, relieved and grateful my colleagues were when I announced to them the discovery of the helmet and two bracelets. We can barely imagine what this means for Romania, for our dear colleagues at the National Museum of History in Bucharest, and for all Romanians. It is wonderful that the helmet and two of the three bracelets are finally returning to their places. This is also the time to express our gratitude again. First of all, of course, to the Dutch and Romanian police, the Dutch and Romanian prosecutor’s office, and the national and international agencies who worked tirelessly to solve this case. Their dedication has deeply moved us and strengthened our belief that we can recover the artifacts. On the Golden Helm of Coțofenești, as can be seen, two eyes are depicted. They are intended to protect both the wearer and the helmet itself from the Evil Eye, from misfortune. They have done so successfully for centuries and, even today, seem to confirm their value.”
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| Golden helmet of Coțofenești and two bracelets stolen from Drents Museum in January 2025 recovered |
The author of this article: Noemi Capoccia
Originaria di Lecce, classe 1995, ha conseguito la laurea presso l'Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara nel 2021. Le sue passioni sono l'arte antica e l'archeologia. Dal 2024 lavora in Finestre sull'Arte.Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
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