Silver Museum Doesburg
Doesburg Silver Museum, Netherlands
A museum in the Dutch city of Doesburg, in the east of the country, was targeted by thieves who stole its entire silver collection in the early hours of Wednesday. According to those responsible for the museum, more than 300 “irreplaceable” objects, valued at tens of thousands of euros, were stolen.
At around 4:30 am local time, two men forced entry into the , housed in the 13th century Martini Church.
Video surveillance footage shows the pair using a crowbar to break down a door and break display cases before run away with the booty.
Among the stolen silver was a valuable mustard collection brought together by the founder of the museum, Martin de Kleijn.
“Just ceramicswhich was on temporary exhibition, was left behind”, said Ernst Boesveldpresident of the museum, told Dutch regional broadcaster Omroep Gelderland. The museum is insured, said Boesveld, quoted by .
“The price of silver is high…but for us it’s much more than the price of silver. These are the stories behind every mustard plant — is history and cultural heritage. We are enormously disappointed and angry.”
Sietske Annevelink-Schurermember of the museum’s board, explained that the collection covers the period between 1700 and 1920 and was once used by some of the wealthiest people in Europe.
“They were used by the elite, on their magnificently set tables“, he said. Many of the mustard dishes were lined with glass or ceramic to protect the silver from the corrosive properties of the mustard.
One particularly unique mustardaccompanied by a spoon, made by the goldsmith Marcel Blokbore the coat of arms of Doesburg, a city historically linked to mustard production. “Doesburg is, of course,the mustard city par excellence“, stated Boesveld.
“As a religious community, there is also a connection with the mustard seed in biblical stories. In the Early Modern Period, when foreign spices were expensive and exotic, mustard was a prestigious condiment.”
Boesveld hopes that stolen silverware is not melted, highlighting that your vhistorical and monetary value is much greater intact than as raw metal.
The assault follows a wave of robberies related to metals in the Netherlands. THE rising prices of precious metals has led thieves to target everything from highway statues to museum collections.
In January last year, the Drents Museum in Assen reported the loss of gold treasures worth more than 4 million euros linked to the ancient Dacians.
But the wave of museum robberies does not seem to be just plaguing the Netherlands: in recent months, one has taken place at several museums around the world — including the one on October 19th.
