A priceless 2,500-year-old golden helmet from Romania, stolen last year from a museum in the Netherlands, has been recovered, Dutch authorities confirmed Thursday.
During a news conference in Assen, eastern Netherlands, prosecutors, flanked by heavily armed police wearing balaclavas, revealed the Cotofenesti helmet, one of Romania’s most cherished national treasures from the Dacia civilization.
“We are incredibly pleased,” said Corien Fahner of the prosecution service. “It has been a roller-coaster. Especially for Romania, but also for employees of the Drents Museum.”
The helmet had been on display at the Drents Museum in January 2025, during the final weekend of a six-month exhibition, when thieves struck, making off with the helmet and three golden wristbands.
Authorities feared the artifact might have been melted down, given its fame and ornate studded design made it nearly impossible to sell.
Two of the three stolen wristbands were recovered after prosecutors reached a deal with three men arrested in connection with the heist shortly after it happened.
Their trial is scheduled to begin later this month. Fahner added that the search for the remaining wristband continues.
Though the helmet returned largely intact, it did sustain minor damage. “The helmet is slightly dented, but there will be no permanent damage,” said Robert van Langh, director of the Drents Museum. “The armbands are in perfect condition.”
The thieves had used a homemade firework bomb and a sledgehammer to break into the museum. Security footage distributed by police after the incident showed three individuals opening a museum door with a large crowbar, followed by an explosion.
The theft strained relations between the Netherlands and Romania. Last year, Romanian Justice Minister Radu Marinescu called the robbery a “crime against our state” and emphasized that recovering the artifacts “is an absolute priority.”
