Thieves steal ‘priceless’ jewel sets from Dresden museum
DAVID RISING and FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) — Thieves broke into Dresden's Green Vault, one of the world's oldest museums, early Monday morning, making off with three "priceless" sets of 18th century jewelry that German officials said would be impossible to sell on the open market.
The treasury of Augustus the Strong of Saxony was established in 1723 and today contains around 4,000 objects of gold, precious stones and other materials on display in Dresden's Royal Palace.
Authorities said it appeared the thieves had broken open only one glass case containing three sets of Baroque jewelry made up of dozens of gems each.
"This is a bitter day for the cultural heritage of Saxony," the state's interior minister, Roland Woeller, told reporters.
He said the thieves "stole