Netherlands hands ancient Coțofenești helmet back to Romania

The 2,500-year-old Golden Helmet of Coțofenești and two ancient gold bracelets have been returned to Romanian authorities after being stolen from a Dutch museum in January last year.

The Romanian government has welcomed the move.

"We are all witnesses to a moment of great joy, namely the return home of the golden Helmet of Cotofenesti and two of the Dacian Bracelets, the royal Dacian Bracelets, heritage pieces of exceptional importance for Romania, but also for European cultural memory", Romanian Culture Minister, András István Demeter, said on Tuesday (21 April).

Artefacts of major historical significance

The Golden Helmet of Coțofenești is one of Romania’s most important archaeological objects. The two recovered gold bracelets date back to 50 B.C., and another bracelet remains missing, according to Dutch prosecutors.

Security footage shows the artefacts were stolen from the Drents Museum in the Dutch city of Assen in January 2025 by three thieves using explosives and crowbars. The suspects were arrested within days and later provided information on the location of the items as part of a plea deal.

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