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Nearly $1 billion in treasure has been stolen from the Green Vault in Dresden, Germany. Thieves broke into the museum early Monday morning after cutting power to the alarm system, according to reports.
“We are shocked by the brutality of the burglary,” General Director of Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden Marion Ackermann said.
A manhunt for two suspects who were captured on camera is now underway. The thieves reportedly escaped in a vehicle and authorities believe that others may be involved in the shocking heist.
An exact list of the items that were removed from the museum has not been announced.
From the report:
Police said the thieves targeted the historic section of the museum, which is divided into two sections — the historic treasure chamber of Augustus II the Strong dating to 1733, and the new section, which displays individual treasures. The thieves stole at least three priceless 18th-century jewelry sets, according to General Director of Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden Marion Ackermann. She said the material value was low, but the worth from its historic and cultural value was impossible to gauge.
“The treasures that can be found in the Green Vault and in the Residence Palace have been hard-won by the people in the Free State of Saxony over many centuries,” Saxony State Premier Michael Kretschmer added.
“One cannot understand the history of our country, our Free State, without the Green Vault and the State Art Collections of Saxony.”
One artifact that was not stolen is the 41-carat Dresden “Green Diamond” which is currently on loan to the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art.
That is all the information that is available at this time. This article will be updated with new and relevant information should it become available at any time. If there is anything that we missed, please feel free to send an email to editor@teamcoedsite.wpengine.com and we will respond as soon as possible.
