Ministry of Culture launches national inventory of movable cultural heritage

Minister of Culture Natalia Intotero said that the organization of the exhibition "Dacia! The Kingdom of Gold and Silver" at the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, was "superficial" and that stricter rules will be imposed to protect national heritage, including a strict inventory. Her statements come in the context of the theft of valuable Dacian artifacts from the exhibition.

• Reevaluation of norms regarding international exhibitions

The minister stressed that it is unacceptable for Romania to continue losing important elements of its cultural heritage and that such situations will no longer be tolerated.

"As Minister of Culture, I will no longer allow the organization of such activities that are not very well-organized. It is unacceptable for our country to lose any more of its remaining cultural treasure and heritage," said Natalia Intotero. To prevent such incidents, the Ministry of Culture has initiated a series of legislative measures, including a draft government decision currently under public consultation, which provides for tightening the conditions for organizing exhibitions that include high-value artifacts. Natalia Intotero announced that work is underway to amend the legislation on the security and protection of museum institutions and other entities that hold cultural heritage objects. "We are in the process of amending the legislative framework to ensure the appropriate security of Romania's cultural heritage," the minister said. This legislative reform is crucial to prevent future losses and to guarantee that Romania's cultural treasure is properly protected.

• Inventory of movable cultural heritage

In parallel, a national inventory of movable cultural heritage has been launched, a procedure that has never been effectively carried out before, according to the minister. Institutions such as the National Bank of Romania and the Romanian Orthodox Church, which have heritage objects in custody, are also participating in this process. "There has never been an actual inventory, but only through what has been reported. Colleagues are already in the field to carry out this essential verification," Intotero explained.

• Responsibility of the National Museum of History of Romania

The minister specified that the responsibility for organizing the exhibition and insuring the exhibited objects fell to the National Museum of History of Romania (MNIR), not the Ministry of Culture. "MNIR was the institution that decided to organize the exhibition, held discussions with the Dutch museum and concluded the insurance policies. For this reason, currently, such exhibitions are blocked until new regulations are adopted," the minister stated.

In addition, the Ministry of Culture is awaiting the report of the Prime Minister's Control Body on the Assen incident, noting that, from the publicly available information, the revaluations and insurance of some pieces were not carried out in accordance with the legal provisions.

• A theft with a major impact on the national heritage

The serious incident took place on January 25, 2025, when four extremely valuable artifacts were stolen from the exhibition at the Drents Museum: the gold helmet from Coţofeneşti, dated to the 5th-4th centuries BC, and three gold Dacian bracelets, discovered at Sarmizegetusa Regia, dating from the 1st century BC. These pieces are part of Romania's national heritage and are considered treasures of inestimable value. The Ministry of Culture announced at the time that the Romanian authorities are collaborating with the Dutch authorities to recover the objects and identify the perpetrators.