Stolen Danish silver returns after 50 years

A tip from a private collector has led to the recovery of 39 silver artefacts stolen from a Danish museum in 1972, including a 1698 chalice by hymn writer Thomas Kingo, now back on display.

The heist took place on a December night in 1972 at Møntergården in Odense, where thieves used scaffolding to break in and take over 200 historical silver pieces from the city’s silversmiths. Staff arrived the next morning to find empty display cases.

In 2024, a collector contacted the museum—now renamed TID—after spotting some of the stolen items at a German auction. Museumsinspector Camilla Schjerning confirmed the pieces and coordinated with German police to document and retrieve them.

This spring, museum staff travelled to Germany to bring the 39 recovered items back to Odense. Schjerning said the return of a significant batch, rather than scattered or melted-down pieces, was unexpected and remarkable.

The artefacts are currently exhibited at the museum.