‘Priceless’ treasures swiped from German museum in daring art heist

Thieves✱ broke into a German museum housing one of Europe’s largest treasure collections, smashed display cases and made off with three “priceless” sets of jewelry in what has been described as the biggest art heist since World War💮 II, according to reports.

The burglars forced their way into the Grüne Gewölbe, or Green Vault, at Dresden’s Royal Palace — home to about 4,000 artifacts made of precious stones, gold, silver and ivory — after deactivating the alarm system early Monday.

Security camera video showꦗed two men breaking in through a gril꧙led window, police said, according to Reuters.

The alarm sounded just before 5 a.m. local time and police were there five minutes later — but the crooks had already fled.

Police said the neighbor𒁏hood had suffered a power failure but it w🔜as unclear whether it was linked to the crime. They also were investigating whether a burned-out car was linked to the raid.

“Two suspects can be seen on the recordings, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t other accomplices,” said police spokesman Volker Lange.

Mar💛ion Ackermann, the director of Dre🃏sden’s State Art Collections, said it was impossible to estimate the value of the stolen items, though the Bild newspaper reported that the haul was worth up to 1 billion euros, or $1.1 billion.

“We are talking here about items of inestimable art historical and cultural-historical value,” Ackermann said. “We cannot give a value because it is impossible to sell. The material value doesn’t reflect the historic meaning.”

When asked if the jewelry might be broken u💛p or melted, she said: “It would be a terrible thing.”

Founded by Augus꧙tus the Strong, Elector of Saxony, in 1723, the Green Vault is one of 12 museums that comprise t♕he famous Dresden State Art Collections.

Among its treasures is a 63.8-centimeter (25-inch) figure o𒁃f a Moor studded with emeralds and🍒 a 547.71-carat sapphire gifted by Tsar Peter I of Russia.

One of its most famous treasures — the 41-carat Dresden “Green Diamond” — is on loan to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is a headline attraction in the temporary exhibition “Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe,” according to AFP.

Other exhibits in Dresden include a sculpture of an Indian royal cour🐷t, constructed with gold, silver, enamel, precious stones and pearls.

The treasures of the Green Va💯ult survived Allied bombs during World War II, only to be carted off as war booty by the Soviet Union. They were returned to Dresden, the historic cap𝔍ital of the state of Saxony, in 1958.

State go꧃vernor Michael Kr♏etschmer said the stolen treasures had been collected over hundreds of years.

“It’s not just the State Art Collections that was robbed, but us Saxons,” he said in 🐭a tweet. “One can’t und♕erstand the history of Saxony without the Green Vault.”

Interior Minister Roland Woeller called it “a bitter day for the cultural heritage of ♕Saxony.”

“We will do everything in our power not only to bring the cultural treasures back, but to capture the perpetrators,” he🔜 said.

With Post wires