Authorities in Germany are grappling with what has been described as one of the most spectacular bank robberies in recent years after thieves looted thousands of safe deposit boxes from a branch of Sparkasse in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, potentially making off with up to €100 million.
The daring break-in occurred over the weekend following Christmas at the bank’s branch on Nienhofstrasse in the Buer district. Investigators believe the perpetrators accessed the building through a neighboring multi-storey car park, allegedly tampering with an emergency exit door that would normally remain locked from the outside. By preventing the door from closing properly, the gang is thought to have secured unimpeded entry to the premises.
Once inside, the thieves reportedly bypassed several layers of security and reached an archive room adjacent to the vault in the basement. There, they used an industrial drill to bore a 40-centimeter-wide hole through a reinforced wall leading directly into the strongroom. Over the course of several hours, they opened nearly all 3,250 safe deposit boxes, removing cash, gold, and jewelry.
Data from the bank’s computer systems indicate that the first box was breached at 10:45 on December 27 and the last at 14:44 the same day, though investigators are still determining whether the entire operation was completed within that timeframe or if recording systems were disrupted.
In a troubling twist, emergency services had responded to a fire alarm at the bank shortly after 6:00 a.m. on December 27. Firefighters and police arrived but found no visible signs of smoke, fire, or damage. According to Herbert Reul, the alarm originated in the vault area, yet responders could not access it due to a locked shutter. With no immediate evidence of danger, the incident was deemed a false alarm. Reul later told a parliamentary committee that police lacked the legal authority to search the premises without a warrant at the time.
The scale of the theft only became clear early on December 29, when another alarm prompted firefighters to return. Inside the vault, they discovered chaos: more than half a million items strewn across the floor, with many damaged by water and chemicals. Authorities have since been painstakingly sorting through the debris in an effort to identify property and gather forensic evidence.
Despite appeals for witnesses and the release of surveillance footage showing masked men and two vehicles—a black Audi RS 6 and a white Mercedes Citan with fake license plates—no arrests have been made more than a month after the crime. Police Chief Tim Frommeyer described the case as one of the largest criminal investigations in the history of North Rhine-Westphalia.
For customers, the emotional toll has been immense. Around 200 account holders gathered outside the bank after news of the theft broke, demanding answers. Among them was 63-year-old Joachim Alfred Wagner, who said he lost gold worth tens of thousands of euros as well as family heirlooms passed down from his father and grandparents. He had rented a safe deposit box following previous burglaries at his apartment, believing it offered greater security. “I cried with rage,” he said.
While the bank stated that safe deposit box contents are generally insured up to €10,300, several customers claim to have stored far greater sums, including one individual who reportedly deposited €400,000 in cash from a property sale intended to fund retirement. Wagner is among those pursuing legal action, alleging inadequate security measures. The bank maintains it was itself a victim and insists its facilities complied with recognized state-of-the-art standards.
The political ramifications have also begun to surface. Members of the Alternative for Germany staged a rally outside the branch, drawing criticism from those who accused the party of exploiting public anger. German media, including Der Spiegel, have suggested the heist has evolved into a broader symbol of eroding public trust, raising uncomfortable questions about institutional accountability and the reliability of promised security.
As investigations continue, officials acknowledge that beyond the immense financial damage, the deeper wound may be the loss of confidence among citizens who believed their valuables were protected behind reinforced vault doors.
