Dendermonde construction workers find €9 million gold hoard

Construction workers in Dendermonde, Belgium, discovered a gold hoard estimated to be worth approximately €9 million ($10 million) while excavating trenches for a new sewer system. The find occurred at a former brewery site, specifically within a bricked-in cellar of a 19th-century villa known as the Brouwershuis.

The treasure consists of roughly 49 numbered gold bars and thousands of gold coins. Workers, including an 18-year-old student named Kobe, initially mistook the objects for ordinary one-euro coins before realizing the true nature of the discovery. The crew alerted the property owner and police rather than attempting to keep the find.

The East Flanders Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation to determine the origin of the gold and its legal owner. While some individuals have come forward claiming to be heirs of former property owners, the investigation is ongoing. The gold has been moved to a secure government vault. The property is currently owned by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a social welfare organization, which expressed hope that any potential share of the treasure could support its charitable activities.