The Green Vault Heist - Residenzschloss
Just before dawn on 25 November 2019, two thieves squeezed through a pre-cut corner window of this building and axed open a jewel display case, executing the greatest museum heist in German history in under three minutes. Three of the stolen pieces, including the Saxon White diamond, remain missing to this day.
About this place
The Residenzschloss, seat of the Saxon electors and kings for five centuries, houses the Green Vault on its ground floor: a treasury of over three thousand jewelled objects assembled by Augustus the Strong from 1723 onwards, among the finest collections of goldsmith art in Europe. On the night of 25 November 2019, a group of thieves dismantled a corner window on Sophienstrasse, cut the electricity to the surrounding streets by setting fire to an electrical box at the nearby Pegelhaus beneath the Augustusbruecke, and climbed inside. In under three minutes they axed open a display case and removed 21 pieces set with approximately 4,300 diamonds and precious stones, valued at a minimum of 113.8 million euros. The welded repair on the window grille is still visible from the street. Three of the stolen objects, including the epaulette set with the Saxon White diamond, were never recovered.
Key facts
- 21 pieces stolen — Twenty-one jewel-encrusted objects set with approximately 4,300 diamonds and precious stones were taken from the Jewel Room in under three minutes.
- 113.8 million euros — The minimum insured value of the stolen treasures, making the Green Vault heist the most valuable art theft in German history.
- 3 pieces still missing — The large breast bow, the diamond rose, and the epaulette holding the Saxon White diamond were never recovered despite partial restitution in 2022.