Gold thieves in court: Schwerin trial over Celtic treasure begins!

Gold thieves in court: Schwerin trial over Celtic treasure begins!

A dramatic trial is imminent that is heating up tempers in northern Germany: three men from Schwerin and a suspect from Berlin are accused in the gold theft trial, which ends with the verdict on July 29, 2025. They are accused of stealing over 3.7 kilos of gold, including 483 coins and a larger gold nugget, from the Manching Celtic-Roman Museum in November 2022. This crime would not just be a simple theft, but it involves the largest Celtic gold treasure of the 20th century, which is estimated to be worth a whopping 1.7 million euros. However, a large part of the gold is still missing today and the defense lawyers are calling for acquittals for two of the defendants, Ostsee-Zeitung reports.

The Celtic gold treasure, around 100 B.C. Discovered in Manching in the 1st century BC, it was considered one of the museum's main attractions and included not only the coins mentioned, but also a gold cast weighing 217 grams and three bronze rings. Unfortunately, all of the treasure was stolen during a break-in in November 2022, except for one coin that was overlooked. The burglary was carried out quickly and precisely: the perpetrators deactivated the alarm system by cutting fiber optic cables and were able to steal the valuables in a very short time. The theft was only discovered eight hours after the crime because the communication lines were cut. This highlights the outdated security measures that, as noted in Wikipedia, enabled the theft.

A call to improve security

The incident sent a shock wave not only in Bavaria but also beyond. The findings of the break-in resulted in far-reaching measures to improve security standards in over 1,250 Bavarian museums. The Bavarian State Ministry for Science and Art has launched a comprehensive “five-point package of measures for more museum security”. Measures include auditing critical infrastructure and deploying copies for valuable items to better protect them. Museums receive up to two million euros in support from the Free State. In many facilities, such as in Kelheim or at the Bavarian National Museum, new security precautions have already been implemented to prevent future thefts, BR informed.

City of Schwerin in crisis mode

But it's not just the gold theft that's currently causing excitement in the region. In Schwerin, Mayor Dr. Rico Badenschier is imposing a budget freeze as the budget is expected to deteriorate by around eight million euros. This means that expenditure can only be made for mandatory tasks and contractually bound services, while voluntary services are frozen. Fortunately, the city's investment projects are not affected by this lockdown, providing some hope in this tense situation. This news comes at an inopportune time for other planned projects in the city, such as the controversial development at Ziegelsee, where city officials have decided not to allow any major development next to the storage facility.

Amid these challenges, there is also positive news: the laying of the foundation stone for a new after-school building on the site of the old “Gänseblümchen” daycare center was officially celebrated. With an investment of nine million euros, 352 childcare places will be created there in the future. The new after-school care center is scheduled to be completed in August 2026 and promises to further improve the care offerings for families in the city.