Dazzling jewels from the Green Vault on display again in Dresden

Almost five years ago, thieves broke into the Green Vault of Dresden Castle and stole a collection of historical jewels valued at over $100 million. Many of the valuable artifacts are now back on display and can be admired once again.

“The jewels will be presented exactly as they were when they were returned,” Marion Ackermann, general director of the Dresden State Art Collections, said in a statement. She added that they suffered damage that was “barely visible” but still needed to be restored. In the meantime, the museum is implementing updated security protocols to ensure that similar thefts do not occur in the future.

The gems date from the time of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. Augustus was a famous collector of art, gems and ornate metalwork. In 1723, he transformed a chamber in Dresden Castle into the Green Vault, creating an opulent baroque room in which to display his extensive collection.

In the 300 years since then, the vault has survived numerous threats, including world wars, looting and bombings. The 2019 robbery was just the latest in a long line of challenges. Still, museum officials were devastated when the treasures went missing.

“I don’t have to tell you how shocked we are by the brutality of this break-in,” Ackermann told the New York Times‘ Melissa Eddy and Christopher F. Schuetze hours after the theft was discovered. “As you know, the historical and cultural value of this is immeasurable.”

Security camera footage shows two people entering the vault and taking what appeared to be a small axe into the museum’s display case, stealing valuable pieces totaling over 4,300 diamonds and other stones.

Two years later, in 2022, German law enforcement recovered many of the stolen artifacts. Five men – all members of the same family – were convicted and sentenced to prison. The criminals admitted to the robbery and said they set fire to a local circuit breaker to cut off the electricity in the museum. They then broke in using a hydraulic cutting machine.

“The returned pieces are major works of art from Saxon and international jewelry of the 18th century,” said Ackermann in the statement. “We assume that all damage can be repaired.”

The vault is currently open to the public until 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Unfortunately, some of the stolen jewels are still missing. According to NPR’s Joe Hernandez, they include Queen Amalie Auguste’s diamond-encrusted silver and gold breast bow and an epaulette with the impressive Saxon white diamond.

Although recovering the remaining treasures is a challenge, Ackerman tries to remain optimistic.

“Of course, we have not given up hope of one day being able to exhibit the remaining jewels here in the Green Vault,” the statement said.