In a concerning turn of events for France’s rich cultural heritage, a daring robbery has resulted in the theft of around 2,000 gold and silver coins from the Maison des Lumières in Langres. The precious hoard, valued at approximately €90,000 (£78,000), was discovered missing by staff on Tuesday morning. This incident follows closely on the heels of other audacious museum thefts, including the recent high-value jewel heist at the Louvre in Paris.
The burglary at the Maison des Lumières, a museum dedicated to the renowned French philosopher Denis Diderot, is believed to have occurred on Sunday night. The thieves, described as having “great expertise,” meticulously selected the coins, which are part of the city’s private collection and were unearthed in 2011 during building renovations.
This latest theft adds to a growing pattern of cultural institutions being targeted across France. Just last month, the Natural History Museum in Paris was robbed of six gold nuggets worth an estimated €1.5 million. The perpetrators in that case reportedly disabled the museum’s alarm and surveillance systems via a cyber-attack. Earlier in September, a national porcelain museum in Limoges was targeted, with two valuable Chinese porcelain dishes and a vase stolen, further highlighting a worrying trend.
The brazenness of these thefts has sparked discussions about security measures in place at France’s esteemed museums. Following the Louvre robbery, the museum’s director acknowledged vulnerabilities in their CCTV system and security protocols, admitting that the institution had “failed these jewels.” The incidents underscore a critical need for enhanced security to protect invaluable cultural treasures from increasingly bold criminal elements.
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