Netherlands hands back ancient Romanian treasure, stolen from museum

Romanian authorities welcomed back the 2,500-year-old Golden Helmet of Cotofenesti and two ancient gold bracelets on Tuesday (April 21) after the treasures were recovered from thieves who stole them from a Dutch museum. 

The artefacts arrived under a heavy security escort at the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest, where they were unveiled in a special display case.

The golden helmet and bracelets, from Geto-Dacian communities, were stolen when thieves broke into the Drents Museum in the northern Dutch city of Assen in January last year. 

Security footage showed three men using explosives and a crowbar to force open the museum at night.

Three suspects were arrested within days of the theft and provided information that led to the recovery of the treasures as part of a deal related to their trial. 

"We are all witnesses to a moment of great joy, namely the return home of the golden Helmet of Cotofenesti and two of the Dacian Bracelets, the royal Dacian Bracelets, heritage pieces of exceptional importance for Romania, but also for European cultural memory," Romanian Culture Minister Andras Istvan Demeter said. 

The golden Helmet of Cotofenesti ⁠is one of Romania's most important archaeological objects.

The two gold bracelets recovered ​date back to 50 B.C. and another bracelet remains missing, according to Dutch prosecutors.

Production: Ovidiu Micsik, Octav Ganea, Malgorzata Wojtuni/Reuters