1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Live TV
Latest audioLatest videos
In focus
Israel-Hamas warRussia's war in UkraineSouth Africa
Law and JusticeGermany

Germany: Arrests made in Celtic gold coin treasure theft

July 19, 2023

Four suspects have been arrested in eastern Germany in connection with the theft of a Celtic gold coins from a museum in Bavaria. The investigators estimated the commercial value of the treasure is €1.6 million.

https://p.dw.com/p/4U8Ke
Celtic gold coins stolen from Celtic-Roman Museum in Manching, Bavaria
The stolen gold coins represent the largest Celtic gold find of the 20th centuryImage: Frank Mächler/dpa/picture-alliance

Eight months after the spectacular theft of gold coins from the Celtic-Roman Museum in Manching in Bavaria, German police said  Wednesday that four suspects were arrested.

The Bavarian Criminal Police Office announced in Munich that the suspects were arrested during a police operation in the greater Schwerin area, located in Germany's northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The arrests were made on Tuesday. Investigators said there was an "overwhelming burden of proof" in the case.

During the investigation, part of the gold treasure was allegedly secured. More details are expected to be revealed on Thursday.

Largest Celtic gold find of the 20th century

On the night of November 22, 2022, the perpetrators broke into the Celtic-Roman Museum in Manching and stole a treasure containing 483 Celtic gold coins from around 100 B.C. 

The gold coins from Manching were discovered in the municipality in 1999, and they are considered to be one of the largest Celtic gold finds of the 20th century. 

The investigators estimated their commercial value after the theft at €1.6 million (€1.8 million), the pure gold value of the 3.7-kilo treasure at the time at around €250,000.

After the burglary, the museum reopened the current special exhibition in December, but the permanent exhibition remained closed until the end of April.

"The theft hit us hard and is still having an impact today," said Manching Mayor Herbert Nerb at the reopening.

dh/wmr (dpa, AFP)

While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.