CrimeDec 20, 2022
Authorities Recover Some Royal Jewels from Green Vault HeistCrimeMay 17, 2023
Five Men Sentenced in 2019 Dresden Jewel Heist
The men were convicted of breaking into the Green Vault Museum and stealing millions of dollars’ worth of 18th century royal jewels.
A German court has convicted five men of breaking into the Green Vault Museum in Dresden, stealing 18th century royal jewels with an insured value of at least $135 million. (Image credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Photo: David Brandt)
Dresden, Germany—On Tuesday, a German court convicted five men of breaking into the Green Vault Museum in Dresden, Germany in November 2019, stealing millions of dollars’ worth of 18th century royal jewels.
Though some jewels were recovered last year, important pieces remain missing. The stolen jewels have an insured value of at least $135 million.
The men are all members of the Berlin-based Remmo organized crime family, according to German news agency DPA.
The men, ages 24 to 29, were given sentences of between four years and four months and six years and three months. A sixth suspect was acquitted.
The sentences were handed down as part of a plea bargain, following the retrieval of some of the stolen jewels in late 2022, said DPA.
In an earlier statement, local police said they found 31 jewels in Berlin, several of which are believed to be intact, including the Polish Order of the White Eagle breast star and a hat decoration.
An epaulette (shoulder piece) set with the famed “Dresden White Diamond” as well as the large bustle bow of Queen Amalie Auguste are still missing.
SEE: Some of the Jewelry Stolen from the Green Vault
Though some jewels were recovered last year, important pieces remain missing. The stolen jewels have an insured value of at least $135 million.
The men are all members of the Berlin-based Remmo organized crime family, according to German news agency DPA.
The men, ages 24 to 29, were given sentences of between four years and four months and six years and three months. A sixth suspect was acquitted.
The sentences were handed down as part of a plea bargain, following the retrieval of some of the stolen jewels in late 2022, said DPA.
In an earlier statement, local police said they found 31 jewels in Berlin, several of which are believed to be intact, including the Polish Order of the White Eagle breast star and a hat decoration.
An epaulette (shoulder piece) set with the famed “Dresden White Diamond” as well as the large bustle bow of Queen Amalie Auguste are still missing.
SEE: Some of the Jewelry Stolen from the Green Vault
This breast star from the Order of the White Eagle was among the stolen jewels recovered. (Image credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
An epaulette featuring 20 large and 216 small diamonds; the largest diamond is about 31.5 carats. This jewel remains missing. (Image credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
This jewel from the bustle of Queen Amalie Auguste is also still missing. (Image credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
This jewel-encrusted sword and scabbard was among the items stolen in the heist. (Image credit: © Grünes Gewölbe, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Photo: Jürgen Karpinski)
The convicted men were initially charged in September 2021 with organized robbery and arson.
They were said to have set a fire before the break-in to cut the power supply to the streetlights outside of the museum. They also set fire to a car in a nearby garage.
Other members of the Remmo family were convicted in connection with a similar heist, stealing a 220-pound Canadian gold coin, called the “Big Maple Leaf '' from the Bode Museum in Berlin in 2017.
The coin, valued at around $4.5 million, was not recovered, with authorities believing it was likely destroyed and sold off in pieces.
The Green Vault is one of the world’s oldest museums, created in 1723 by Augustus the Strong of Saxony, who wanted to establish Dresden as an arts hub.
His treasury, on display in Dresden’s Royal Palace, includes 4,000 jewels, objets d’art, and other historically significant items. Its most famous treasure is the Dresden Green Diamond, a 41-carat green diamond.
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