A billion euros worth of treasures stolen from Dresden museum

Historic Grape Cups were among the treasures on display in the Green Vault, where burglars have carried out a heist. Photograph: Ralf Hirschberger/EPA

Thieves have broken into one of Europe’s largest collection of art treasures in the German city of Dresden and stolen objects worth up to one billion euros, police have said.

The Grüne Gewölbe (or Green Vault) has been stripped of hundreds of artefacts, after the thieves reportedly started a fire in the early hours of Monday that led to a breakdown in the power supply and the failure of security alarms.

 The Jewel Room at the Green Vault in Dresden. German police said thieves appeared to have targeted the jewellery collection. Photograph: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/AFP via Getty Images

Police are calling the break-in the largest art heist in postwar history.

The Grüne Gewölbe’s most famous artefact is Augustus the Strong’s treasure chamber. It was not known whether it had been broken into.

A police spokesman said on Monday morning: “We can confirm that there has been a break-in in the Grüne Gewölbe … the perpetrators are on the run.”..........READ MORE>>>

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