The helmet from Coțofenești and two Dacian bracelets, recovered 14 months after being stolen from a museum in the Netherlands, are returning to the country today.
The pieces will be exhibited starting Wednesday at the National Museum of Romanian History. Visitors can see them from April 22 to May 3, between 10:00 and 18:00, according to the institution’s announcement.
The treasure was stolen in January 2025 from the Drents Museum in Assen, during an exhibition dedicated to the Dacian civilization. The objects were recovered in April 2026, after an investigation involving Dutch authorities that led to the detention of several suspects.
Symbolic Piece of the Dacian Treasure
The helmet from Coțofenești, made of nearly pure gold and dated to the first half of the 4th century BC, is one of the most valuable pieces of the national heritage. Discovered in 1928 in Prahova County, it is believed to have belonged to a Geto-Dacian leader.
Alongside the helmet, two of the three Dacian bracelets stolen from the Netherlands are also on display, artifacts of great historical and artistic value.
The Robbery in the Netherlands
The theft took place on the morning of January 25, 2025, when several individuals used explosives to force an emergency exit at the museum in Assen. Subsequently, they broke the display cases and stole the golden helmet and three bracelets.
Initially, authorities believed it was an attempted ATM break-in, but the investigation quickly revealed that the real target was the exhibits in the "Dacia - Kingdom of Gold and Silver" exhibition.
Following the investigation, three suspects were arrested, and a fourth is still at large. Two of the detainees have reached agreements with prosecutors and have accepted responsibility, while a third denies involvement and challenges the evidence.
The verdict in this case is expected on June 5.
Scandal and Reactions in Romania
The theft sparked controversy in Romania. The then-director of the National Museum of Romanian History, Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu, was dismissed, accused of approving the loan of the pieces to a museum that did not provide adequate security conditions.
Meanwhile, the former Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, demanded "unprecedented" compensation from the Dutch authorities for the damage to the Romanian heritage. Subsequently, the Romanian state received compensation of 5.85 million euros for the four stolen heritage objects, according to Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu. These funds will be reimbursed after specialized expertise confirms the conservation status of the objects.