The Minister of Culture, Natalia Intotero, asked the director of the National History Museum, Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu, to resign after four pieces from the Dacian treasury were stolen on Saturday from the Dutch Drents museum. Târnoveanu refused, and in these circumstances, he was granted the legal 15-day notice before being relieved of his duties.
Intotero requested Târnoveanu’s resignation due to the faulty communication of the National History Museum’s leadership during the crisis caused by the robbery in the Netherlands.
"It was a difficult period to obtain information from the director of the National History Museum. Personally, I felt that he was overwhelmed in managing a crisis situation, especially in terms of communication. (...) That is why today I asked the general director of the National History Museum to submit his honorable resignation," the minister said.
Intotero specified that Târnoveanu refused.
"Consequently, I proceeded further according to the current legal provisions. I initiated the termination of the management contract. According to the applicable provisions, there will be a 15-day notice period under Article 12. If he did not wish to submit his honorable resignation, we will respect this 15-day notice period.
I have forwarded the documents to the National History Museum. During this period, he will definitely have to take inventory. After the 15 days, we will see who will coordinate the activities during this extremely delicate period, on an interim basis," Intotero explained.
The Minister of Culture also stated that she issued a request to the manager of the National History Museum of Romania, asking for all steps related to the exhibition in the Netherlands to be urgently communicated.
"And when I said all documents, I also referred to the initial steps, the opportunity for that exhibition to take place at that museum, if studies were conducted in this regard, and all correspondence that took place between him and the manager of the Dutch museum, followed by the other documents that are also found at the Ministry of Culture," the minister emphasized.
Intotero stated that she requested "all museum managers under the Ministry of Culture to communicate by Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 8:00 am, the security and surveillance systems in place for the mobile cultural assets in the museum's heritage."
The Minister of Culture added that the responses must be communicated both via email and "equally" through institutional correspondence.
"Another request to the managers was that by Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 8:00 am, they provide us with the following information: If you currently have mobile cultural assets taken out of the country for temporary export to exhibitions, please also inform us of the list of those assets separately for the treasury, fund, and other mobile cultural assets. And also, this communication should be made institutionally and in the electronic mailbox," she added.
Ernest Oberlander-Târnoveanu has been the director of the National History Museum of Romania since 2010.
He stated on Monday that all conditions imposed by the Dutch side for the exhibition would have corresponded to all foreseeable security measures, mentioning that he will resign at the appropriate time.
Târnoveanu said he considers himself a "scapegoat" and that no one supports him in this situation. He also stated that he fulfilled all the conditions for this exhibition.
Four of the most valuable artifacts from Romania's Dacian Treasure were stolen on Saturday from the Drents Museum in the Netherlands, where they were on display. These include the Golden Helmet from Coțofenești and three Dacian bracelets. In total, 673 objects made of precious metals from the Dacian Treasure were on display there.
To enter the museum, the attackers caused an explosion, after which they fled with the exhibits. So far, the thieves have not been identified. The theft occurred around 3:45 a.m. on the night from Friday to Saturday.