Gold Hoard Unearthed During Renovation in East Flanders

Construction workers renovating a former brewery on Van Langenhovestraat in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde uncovered a bag of gold coins, nuggets and numbered bullion bars sealed within a bricked-in cellar wall. The find, valued at roughly €9 million (£8 million), was made while drilling new sewage pipes in the building’s foundations. The 18-year-old summer worker, identified only as Kobe, and his colleagues promptly notified the police and the property’s owner, the welfare organisation CAW Oost-Vlaanderen.

The Guardian

The property, originally the grand villa of brewery owner Theophilus Van Assche built in the late 19th century, ceased brewing operations in 1970. CAW Oost-Vlaanderen is converting the listed building into offices and housing, a process that involved gutting the interior while preserving the exterior wrought-iron gates bearing the initials “VA”.

The Guardian

Under Belgian civil law, finders must wait five years (approximately 1,823 days) for any legitimate owner to come forward. If no claim is made, the treasure is divided between the finder and the property owner, provided the gold is not linked to criminal activity. Potential claimants include the builders, CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, descendants of the Van Assche family, and the public prosecutor’s office, which is conducting a criminal-law review.

The Guardian

Geert Hillaert, director of CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, expressed “surprise and amazement” and hopes the treasure could eventually support the charity’s work. Hanne Ollevier of the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office emphasized that authorities must first verify the bullion is not stolen property or proceeds of crime, noting the likely complexity of any ensuing civil dispute. Local police have moved the gold to a secure facility in Brussels, warned the public against visiting the active site, and updated their Facebook profile picture to a gold coin, indicating hopes the find will end up “in the right place”.

BBC News

• “It’s just not something you expect when you’re working on a regular Tuesday morning,” — Kobe

The Guardian

• “The Brouwershuis was a beautiful building, but it is being completely gutted,” — Geert Hillaert, of CAW

The Guardian