The helmet from Coțofenești and the two gold bracelets recovered after the robbery in Holland have arrived in Romania / When can they be seen by the public
The Coțofenești helmet and two of the three gold bracelets stolen last year from the Drents Museum in Assen and recently recovered by the authorities have arrived in the country and will be taken to the National History Museum of Romania, where they will be able to be seen by the public starting Wednesday.
The Dacian treasure was brought to Romania by a commercial plane that landed at “Henri Coandă” Airport, according to the images broadcast by TVR Info. The helmet and the two bracelets are being transported to the National History Museum of Romania by the gendarmes, the authorities announced in a press conference held after taking over the treasure.
According to representatives of the Bucharest Gendarmerie, the treasure is transported in an armored vehicle, escorted and secured throughout the route by Gendarmerie crews.
The Coțofenești helmet and two of the gold bracelets were recovered on April 2, 14 months after they were stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, Holland. The third stolen Dacian bracelet is still missing. The repatriation of the treasure pieces was announced last week by the Government.
When the Dacian thexaur can be seen by the general public, at the National Museum of History
The helmet from Coțofenești and the two Dacian bracelets will be exhibited at the National History Museum.
“Starting from April 22 and until May 3, 2026, these exceptional pieces, recovered, will be able to be admired by the general public, at the National History Museum of Romania, during the visiting hours, from Wednesday to Sunday, between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.,” the National History Museum said on its Facebook page.
How the Dacian treasure was stolen from the Drents Museum
The gold helmet from Coțofenești and three gold bracelets were part of the Dacia – Land of Gold and Silver exhibition, which was exhibited last year at the Drents Museum in Assen.
A few days before the closing of the exhibition and the return of the exhibits to the National History Museum in Bucharest, on January 25, 2025, three men detonated a back entrance of the museum in Assen and in just a few minutes came out with the four Romanian artifacts. In the months following the robbery, several people were arrested.
The Romanian Ministry of Culture announced in September 2025 that it had collected the sum of 5.7 million euros, representing the insurance compensation for the four cultural assets.
The Coțofenești helmet and two of the gold bracelets were recovered on April 2, 14 months after the robbery. The whereabouts of the third gold bracelet remain unknown.
“They were found buried” and “they were wrapped in a towel”, the former director of the Romanian History Museum, Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu, who was fired after the robbery, told HotNews.
In this case, three men, identified as Jan B. (21 years old), Douglas Chesley W. (37 years old) and Bernhard Z. (35 years old), are arrested and prosecuted for theft and destruction of museum property, and their trial is ongoing in the Netherlands.
The prosecutor's office in the Netherlands requested prison terms of up to 66 months for the three suspects. The most severe punishment was requested for Bernhard Z., who refused a deal with the prosecutors. The other two suspects, Jan B. and Douglas Chesley W., reached an agreement with the Prosecutor's Office. Against them, prosecutors asked for a lighter sentence of 44 months in prison for each.
