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Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen faces 18 lawsuits after massive vault burglary
Following a massive burglary at the Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen in late 2025, where thieves broke into more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes, 18 lawsuits have been filed against the bank. The perpetrators gained access to the vault by entering through a parking garage and an archive room using a specialized drill. The total damages are estimated to be in the tens or even hundreds of millions of euros.
Plaintiffs are alleging security deficiencies and are seeking full reimbursement for the contents of their boxes. This contradicts standard contractual limits, which typically cap reimbursement at 10,300 euros per box. While the bank claims to have made over 100 insurance payouts, attorney Daniel Kuhlmann, representing hundreds of claimants, has criticized the process, stating that insurance sums have not been effectively paid out in known cases.
Civil proceedings began in June at the Essen District Court but were suspended while the court seeks an expert to evaluate the bank's security measures. The next court date is scheduled for September 10.
Entities
Daniel Kuhlmann · Essen · Gelsenkirchen · Landgericht Essen · Sparkasse Gelsenkirchen
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Essen Regional Court suspended civil proceedings to appoint an expert to evaluate the bank's security measures. www.muensterlandzeitung.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Attorney Daniel Kuhlmann claims that insurance payouts have not been fully realized for his clients. www.muensterlandzeitung.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Contractual reimbursement for safety deposit box contents is limited to 10,300 euros per box. www.muensterlandzeitung.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] Total damages are estimated to be between 100 million and several hundred million euros. www.muensterlandzeitung.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] There are currently 18 lawsuits against the Sparkasse. www.muensterlandzeitung.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] More than 3,000 safety deposit boxes were broken into during the burglary. www.muensterlandzeitung.de · www.ruhrnachrichten.de · www.recklinghaeuser-zeitung.de