A theft of more precious objects easily sold in a museum. This took place around 4:30 a.m. at the Silver Museum in Doesburg in the Netherlands. Two individuals entered through the entrance to the tower of the Martinikerk church in Doesburg, a 13th century building which houses the museum. Using a crowbar, they forced open the access door before breaking the fourteen display cases in order to seize the precious objects. The operation was quick; the burglars fled within minutes. The alarm went off and surveillance cameras briefly filmed the scene.
The thieves made off with more than 300 silver coins, dating from the period 1700-1920 and coming from around twenty countries. Many old mustard pots, accompanied by their silver spoons, are among the stolen items. The museum is indeed renowned for its collection of silver mustard pots, linked to the local tradition of mustard production. Spoons and various items linked to the butter, vinegar and tobacco industries were also stolen.
Among the most important pieces is a unique object, weighing 693 grams of silver: a silver mustard pot with its matching spoon decorated with the city’s coat of arms, designed especially for the museum by the goldsmith Marcel Blok. The total value of the loot is estimated at several tens of thousands of euros. Only the ceramic objects, temporarily exposed, were left on site. The criminals clearly targeted silverware, the value of which increased significantly in 2025.
The Doesburg Silver Museum (Zilvermuseum Doesburg) was founded in 2021, it is housed in a glass structure within the Grote of Martinikerk in Doesburg, displaying an international collection of silver mustard pots, condiment sets and associated objects, collected by the collector Martin de Kleijn.
