Thieves broke into Dresden's Grünes Gewölbe early Monday morning and stole priceless treasures, police said.

The eastern German museum, known in English as the Green Vault, houses one of Europe's largest collection of treasures.

Two thieves were seen on camera entering through a window and later escaping in a vehicle. Police said there may be more people involved.

Police said the thieves targeted the historic section of the museum, which is divided into two sections — the historic treasure chamber of Augustus II the Strong dating to 1733, and the new section, which displays individual treasures.

The thieves stole at least three priceless 18th-century jewelry sets, according to General Director of Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden Marion Ackermann. She said the material value was low, but the worth from its historic and cultural value was impossible to gauge.

"We are shocked by the brutality of the burglary," Ackermann said.

Possible fire connection

The museum's power supply was possibly sabotaged by a fire before the break-in. The responsible energy supplier confirmed the incident and said it was investigating if the two events were linked. Police said power failure plunged the entire area into darkness, making video analysis difficult.

Ackermann told German broadcaster ZDF later Monday that multiple alarms were triggered by the burglary itself and through motion detectors in the room. Police were notified with the first alarm.

She also said the perpetrators "couldn't take everything with them because all the objects were also individually secured and were sewn with stitches into the ground."

The high-profile heist comes after a 100 kilogram (220 pound), 24-carat giant gold coin was stolen from Berlin's Bode Museum in 2017.

The most spectacular art robberies in history Breaking into one of the world's oldest museums The Green Vault in Dresden's Royal Palace is one of the most famous treasure chambers of Europe. Early in the morning of November 25, 2019, burglars broke into the museum and stole three sets of jewelry from the early 18th century. The works made up of diamond, ruby and emerald gems are seen as "priceless." German newspaper Bild called it "probably the biggest art theft since World War II."

The most spectacular art robberies in history When Mona Lisa's smile disappeared The world's most famous portrait, Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," was stolen in 1911. A young Italian named Vincenzo Peruggia took the painting from the Louvre in Paris. Dressed as a member of the museum staff, he was able to hide the relatively small painting under his work coat. It reappeared in 1913 after an art dealer alerted the police.

The most spectacular art robberies in history The world's most frequently stolen painting Rembrandt's portrait of "Jacques III de Gheyn" wasn't stolen from Britain's Dulwich Picture Gallery just once, but four times, namely in 1966, 1973, 1981 and 1986. That's why it came to be nicknamed the "Takeaway Rembrandt." Fortunately the painting has been recovered after each theft.

The most spectacular art robberies in history Art robbery in Boston remains a mystery The burglary of 13 paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum stirred international attention in 1990. Two men disguised as policemen broke into the building and removed the paintings, among them Edouard Manet's "Chez Tortoni" and Jan Vermeer's "Concert" (pictured). The empty picture frames are still hanging on the walls.

The most spectacular art robberies in history Spectacular Van Gogh theft In 1991, a man managed to lock himself into a bathroom in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam — unnoticed. With the help of a warden, he removed a total of 20 paintings, among them the Dutch painter's "Self-Portrait with Easel." However, police were able to recover the works from the getaway car just one hour later. The thieves were caught a few months later.

The most spectacular art robberies in history Da Vinci disappeared for years "Madonna of the Yarnwinder" by Leonardo da Vinci, valued at €70 million ($76 million), was stolen from a Scottish castle in 2003. Two thieves who entered an exhibition as tourists overpowered the security guard at Drumlanrig Castle and fled with the precious artwork. It remained lost for years until it was discovered during a raid in Glasgow in 2007.

The most spectacular art robberies in history Armed assault on the Munch Museum Two paintings by expressionist Edvard Munch, "The Scream" and "Madonna," were stolen in Oslo in 2004. Two armed robbers invaded the Munch Museum and, witnessed by numerous visitors, ripped the paintings from the wall. Police were able to retrieve the two famous paintings. However, "The Scream" was damaged so badly during the incident that it could never be fully restored.

The most spectacular art robberies in history Europe's biggest art burglary In 2008, armed thieves pilfered four paintings amounting to a total value of 180 million Swiss francs (€156 million, $182 million) from the collection Bührle in Zurich. "The Boy in the Red Vest" by Paul Cézanne, "Ludovic Lepic and His Daughters" by Edgar Degas, "Blossoming Chestnut Branches" by Vincent van Gogh, and "Poppy Field Near Vétheuil" by Claude Monet (pictured) all resurfaced later on.

The most spectacular art robberies in history Theft of a 100-kilo gold coin in Berlin In March 2017, a huge gold coin weighing 100 kilos was stolen from Berlin's Bode Museum. Just its sheer material value alone amounts to four million dollars. It is believed that the thieves found their way into the building through a window. The "Big Maple Leaf" coin originated in Canada. It is 53 cm high and 3 cm thick. On the front side, it bears an image of Queen Elizabeth II. Author: Ines Eisele (ad)



Police said they had alerted neighboring authorities to watch for the offenders and had even closed motorways to search for the vehicle.

A car was later found torched, but police said they were investigating if it was related to the incident.

People of Saxony 'robbed'

Saxony State Premier Michael Kretschmer denounced the crime. "Not only the state art collections were robbed, but we Saxons," Kretschmer said.

"The treasures that can be found in the Green Vault and in the Residence Palace have been hard-won by the people in the Free State of Saxony over many centuries.

"One cannot understand the history of our country, our Free State, without the Green Vault and the State Art Collections of Saxony."

Police said they were still investigating what had been taken

Across 10 highly decorated rooms, about 3000 pieces of jewelry and other masterpieces made of gold, silver, precious stones, ivory and other valuable materials are displayed.

The building was damaged in World War II but was subsequently repaired. Since its reopening in September 2006, it has been one of Dresden's tourist magnets.

dv,aw/ng (dpa, AFP)

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