The Cathedral Treasury Heist - Domschatzkammer
On the night of 1 to 2 November 1975, three men climbed the cathedral scaffolding, slipped down a ventilation shaft into the 'optimally secured' treasury in the north transept and escaped with monstrances, a pax tablet and twelve bishops' crosses. Tips from Cologne's underworld brought them down, but the golden monstrance of 1657 had already been melted.
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Today the cathedral treasury hides beneath a dark bronze cube on the north side, fiercely criticised when it opened in 2000, with around 300 treasures displayed in medieval vaults that reach down to the Roman city wall. Until then, the cathedral's gold sat in a strongroom in the north transept directly in front of you, a room considered optimally secured. On the night of 1 to 2 November 1975, three men proved otherwise: they climbed the scaffolding with rope ladders and mountaineering gear, slid down a ventilation shaft and lowered themselves about six metres into the treasury. They took precious monstrances, a jewelled chain, twelve bishops' pectoral crosses and Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg's pax tablet of around 1533, loot worth several million marks. Tips from the Cologne underworld, and by later accounts the undercover agent Werner Mauss, led to their arrest in 1976 and long prison sentences. Yet the golden monstrance of 1657 had already been melted down and had to be painstakingly rebuilt, the pax tablet vanished forever, and about ten percent of the cathedral treasure was lost for good.
Fatti principali
- 6 metres — The thieves lowered themselves about six metres from a ventilation shaft into the old treasury in the north transept.
- 12 bishops' crosses — Twelve episcopal pectoral crosses were taken, along with monstrances, a jewelled chain and a pax tablet, loot worth several million marks.
- 10 percent — About ten percent of the cathedral treasure was lost for good, including Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg's pax tablet of around 1533.