In a shocking heist, four ancient gold artefacts were stolen from a Dutch museum early Saturday morning, museum officials said in a statement.
The robbers used explosives to force open the door of the Dutch museum. Police received the report at 3:45 am local time on Saturday about the explosion at the Drents Museum in Assen.
As the officers arrived, they found the museum damaged and the gold masterpieces were missing.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dutch-museum-exhibit-with-beyonce-raises-tempers-in-egypt-618155" rel="dofollow">Dutch museum exhibit with Beyonce raises tempers in Egypt</a>
The museum was hosting an exhibition of priceless Romanian jewellery made from gold and silver.
The thieves left with three Dacian spiral bracelets and the exhibit's central piece, which was a decorated Helmet of Cotofenesti, crafted almost 2,500 years ago.
Romania's ministry of culture has vowed to take all possible steps to recover the stolen artefacts, which were loaned to the Dutch museum from Bucharest.
<h2>'Intensely shocked'</h2>
Drents Museum director Harry Tupan said staff were "intensely shocked" by the robbery, stressing that it was the biggest incident in its 170-year history.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-keffiyeh-headscarf-over-which-pulitzer-holder-jhumpa-lahiri-declined-ny-museum-award-762261" rel="dofollow">Also read: What is keffiyeh headscarf, over which Pulitzer winner Jhumpa Lahiri declined NY Museum award?</a>
"This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest," Tupan said.&nbsp;
As the investigation continues, police are carrying out a forensic investigation and reviewing CCTV footage.&nbsp;
They are also investigating a burning vehicle that was found on a nearby road, which they suspect may be linked to the burglary.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/this-museum-gives-experience-of-how-bone-chilling-was-atlantic-when-titanic-drowned-watch-758853" rel="dofollow">This museum gives experience of how 'bone-chilling' was Atlantic when Titanic drowned: Watch</a>
"A possible scenario is that the suspects switched to another vehicle in the vicinity of the fire," a Dutch police statement said.
There have been no arrests made yet. However, the authorities suspect multiple individuals were involved in the burglary.&nbsp;
Moreover, to resolve the case, police have called the global policing agency Interpol to help with the investigation.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/easter-sunday-burglary-thieves-steal-10-million-in-biggest-cash-heist-in-la-on-easter-707781" rel="dofollow">Easter Sunday burglary: Thieves steal $10 million in biggest cash heist in Los Angeles&nbsp;</a>
The museum issued a statement, saying four archaeological masterpieces" were taken, including the Cotofenesti helmet, which dates from around 450 BC, and three ancient Dacian royal bracelets.
Notably, in the late 1990s, 24 bracelets from the same era were dug up by treasure hunters and sold abroad. Later, the Romanian state made efforts for years to get them back from collectors in Austria, Germany, France, the UK and the United States.
(With inputs from agencies)

World: The robbers used explosives to force open the door of the Dutch museum. Police received the report at 3:45 am local time on Saturday about the explosion.

In a shocking heist, four ancient gold artefacts were stolen from a Dutch museum early Saturday morning, museum officials said in a statement. The robbers used explosives to force open the door of the Dutch museum. Police received the report at 3:45 am local time on Saturday about the explosion at the Drents Museum in Assen. As the officers arrived, they found the museum damaged and the gold masterpieces were missing. Also read: Dutch museum exhibit with Beyonce raises tempers in Egypt The museum was hosting an exhibition of priceless Romanian jewellery made from gold and silver. The thieves left with three Dacian spiral bracelets and the exhibit's central piece, which was a decorated Helmet of Cotofenesti, crafted almost 2,500 years ago. Romania's ministry of culture has vowed to take all possible steps to recover the stolen artefacts, which were loaned to the Dutch museum from Bucharest. 'Intensely shocked' Drents Museum director Harry Tupan said staff were "intensely shocked" by the robbery, stressing that it was the biggest incident in its 170-year history. Also read: What is keffiyeh headscarf, over which Pulitzer winner Jhumpa Lahiri declined NY Museum award? "This is a dark day for the Drents Museum in Assen and the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest," Tupan said. As the investigation continues, police are carrying out a forensic investigation and reviewing CCTV footage. They are also investigating a burning vehicle that was found on a nearby road, which they suspect may be linked to the burglary. Also read: This museum gives experience of how 'bone-chilling' was Atlantic when Titanic drowned: Watch "A possible scenario is that the suspects switched to another vehicle in the vicinity of the fire," a Dutch police statement said. There have been no arrests made yet. However, the authorities suspect multiple individuals were involved in the burglary. Moreover, to resolve the case, police have called the global policing agency Interpol to help with the investigation. Also read: Easter Sunday burglary: Thieves steal $10 million in biggest cash heist in Los Angeles The museum issued a statement, saying four archaeological masterpieces" were taken, including the Cotofenesti helmet, which dates from around 450 BC, and three ancient Dacian royal bracelets. Notably, in the late 1990s, 24 bracelets from the same era were dug up by treasure hunters and sold abroad. Later, the Romanian state made efforts for years to get them back from collectors in Austria, Germany, France, the UK and the United States. (With inputs from agencies)

'Biggest incident in 170 years': Thieves blow up Dutch museum door to steal gold 'masterpieces'

Normally museums exhibit only a small proportion of their collections, but the Boijmans Van Beuningen gallery in Rotterdam will this week become the first in the world to show off the lot.

Housed in a huge mirrored, bowl-shaped depot attached to the museum in the Dutch port city, its collection of 151,000 artworks by artists including Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet will be accessible to visitors from Saturday.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander will formally open the depot on Friday.

"It is the only fully accessible depot, public depot that is open in the world," museum director Sjarel Ex told AFP as media toured the building on Tuesday ahead of the opening.

"What happens here is that you do not follow the script that was written by a curator... you see things by coincidence, and you feel that you are discovering things and that you connect things."

Normally, only some six to ten percent of collections at major museums around the world like the Boijmans Van Beuningen are on display, the rest kept in closed storage depots, said Ex.

That will now change for the Rotterdam institution -- and visitors will even able to watch works being restored.

"If you do not show the works, and people stop talking about and thinking about an art work, it is very likely that it sinks into oblivion -- out of sight out of heart," he said.

The project -- whose cost of around 92 million euros has mainly been covered by private donations -- features five different temperature zones for different types of artworks&nbsp;

The warehouse was originally created to solve a very Dutch problem -- the likelihood of flooding in a low-lying country where a third of the land sits below sea level.

The old cellars below the museum were liable to let in water, making them unsuitable for storage.

"Every building is a moment in time, so this celebrates for sure the climate," said its architect, Winy Maas.

"Why? Because it's the raison d'être of this building -- the former archives were under water. It was flooding, so we have to bring it up."

Normally museums exhibit only a small proportion of their collections, but the Boijmans Van Beuningen gallery in Rotterdam will this week become the first in the world to show off the lot.

Normally museums exhibit only a small proportion of their collections, but the Boijmans Van Beuningen gallery in Rotterdam will this week become the first in the world to show off the lot. Housed in a huge mirrored, bowl-shaped depot attached to the museum in the Dutch port city, its collection of 151,000 artworks by artists including Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet will be accessible to visitors from Saturday. Dutch King Willem-Alexander will formally open the depot on Friday. "It is the only fully accessible depot, public depot that is open in the world," museum director Sjarel Ex told AFP as media toured the building on Tuesday ahead of the opening. "What happens here is that you do not follow the script that was written by a curator... you see things by coincidence, and you feel that you are discovering things and that you connect things." Normally, only some six to ten percent of collections at major museums around the world like the Boijmans Van Beuningen are on display, the rest kept in closed storage depots, said Ex. That will now change for the Rotterdam institution -- and visitors will even able to watch works being restored. "If you do not show the works, and people stop talking about and thinking about an art work, it is very likely that it sinks into oblivion -- out of sight out of heart," he said. The project -- whose cost of around 92 million euros has mainly been covered by private donations -- features five different temperature zones for different types of artworks The warehouse was originally created to solve a very Dutch problem -- the likelihood of flooding in a low-lying country where a third of the land sits below sea level. The old cellars below the museum were liable to let in water, making them unsuitable for storage. "Every building is a moment in time, so this celebrates for sure the climate," said its architect, Winy Maas. "Why? Because it's the raison d'être of this building -- the former archives were under water. It was flooding, so we have to bring it up."

Dutch museum opens entire collection in 'world first'

Thieves stole a painting by Vincent van Gogh overnight from the Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands, its director said on Monday. 
 
The gallery, in the town of Laren to the east of Amsterdam, is currently shut to the public due to the coronavirus epidemic. 
 
The painting 'Lentetuin', or 'Spring Garden,' which depicts the garden of the rectory at Neunen and dates to 1884, had been on loan from the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands.

"I am shocked and absolutely livid that this has happened," Jan Rudolph de Lorm, director of the Singer Laren Museum, said in a video statement posted on YouTube. 
 
"This splendid and moving artwork by one of our great artists has been stolen, taken from the community," he said. 
Police said the thieves had forced the building`s glass front doors open at around 3.15 a.m. (0115 GMT). 
 
The stolen painting depicts a woman in a garden with sparse red-flowered bushes and the church building in the background. 
 
Dutch museums have been closed because of the coronavirus outbreak since March 12.

Thieves stole a painting by Vincent van Gogh overnight from the Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands, its director said on Monday. The gallery, in the town of Laren to the east of Amsterdam, is currently shut to the public due to the coronavirus epidemic.

Thieves stole a painting by Vincent van Gogh overnight from the Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands, its director said on Monday. The gallery, in the town of Laren to the east of Amsterdam, is currently shut to the public due to the coronavirus epidemic. The painting 'Lentetuin', or 'Spring Garden,' which depicts the garden of the rectory at Neunen and dates to 1884, had been on loan from the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands. "I am shocked and absolutely livid that this has happened," Jan Rudolph de Lorm, director of the Singer Laren Museum, said in a video statement posted on YouTube. "This splendid and moving artwork by one of our great artists has been stolen, taken from the community," he said. Police said the thieves had forced the building`s glass front doors open at around 3.15 a.m. (0115 GMT). The stolen painting depicts a woman in a garden with sparse red-flowered bushes and the church building in the background. Dutch museums have been closed because of the coronavirus outbreak since March 12.

Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum during coronavirus shutdown

dutch-museum

Dutch Museum, News on Dutch Museum, stories on Dutch Museum, articles on Dutch Museum, Dutch Museum stories at Wion, Dutch Museum news, Dutch Museum latest news

dutch museum

'Biggest incident in 170 years': Thieves blow up Dutch museum door to steal gold 'masterpieces'

Dutch museum opens entire collection in 'world first'

Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum during coronavirus shutdown