As reported, a significant portion of the artworks stolen from the Green Vault in Dresden in 2019 has recently been secured. Experts from the Staatliche Kunstammlungen Dresden (SKD) are now starting to value the stolen goods. Since significantly more pieces were reported than during the investigation, it is possible that some jewelry may have been smashed or broken.
The experts’ findings may also be important for the ongoing trial of six suspects, SKD spokesman Holger Liebs said on Sunday. The return of the loot would be based on a deal between the defense lawyers, the prosecutor’s office and the court. The Saxon authorities announced that there had been “exploratory talks”.
The burglary in November 2019 was one of the most high-profile art thefts in Germany. The perpetrators stole historical jewelery with a total of 4,300 diamonds and brilliants with a total value of more than 113 million euros from the treasury museum in the residential palace of Dresden. A large part of the loot was secured in Berlin on the night from Friday to Saturday and returned to Dresden.
Art Theft Expert: Loot should be in good condition
Art theft expert Willi Korte is surprised by the return of the jewels. After the burglary, he assumed that the perpetrators had already sold the loot before the crime and that it would therefore not be found again. “In that case I was wrong in my opinion,” said the provenance researcher. According to him, the loot has survived well since the theft. “Because it mainly concerns precious metals and gemstones, you don’t have to pay much attention to the temperature,” says Korte.
According to police spokesman Thomas Geithner, the investigative authorities have been asked time and time again how realistic it is that the loot will return to Dresden. “We’ve always been very optimistic,” Geithner said. But there was also a bit of “fibbing”. The longer the investigations had gone on, the more confidence had melted away. The police spokesperson also curbed the euphoria a bit: a report confirming the authenticity of the documents is still missing.
Source: Krone
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