The short version
- An eighteen-year-old student working on a drainage project discovered a cache of gold worth approximately nine million euros hidden in a bricked-up cellar wall.
- The find occurred at the site of a former brewery owned by Theophilus Van Assche, which is currently being renovated by a social welfare organization into housing and offices.
- Authorities have secured the treasure for investigation to rule out criminal origins while preparing for likely civil disputes over rightful ownership under Belgian law.
A routine infrastructure project in northern Belgium has yielded an unexpected financial discovery, as construction workers uncovered a hidden stash of gold valued at approximately nine million euros. The find occurred on Tuesday during excavation work for a new sewage system at the site of a former brewery in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, located roughly thirty kilometers northwest of Brussels. The discovery shifts the narrative of the renovation project from standard urban development to a complex legal and historical inquiry regarding the provenance of the wealth.
The treasure was found by an eighteen-year-old student named Kobe, who was employed for the summer on the building site. While digging trenches alongside colleagues, he noticed objects that initially resembled one-euro coins. Further excavation revealed the true nature of the cache, which included gold bars, nuggets, and various coins. The items were concealed inside a bag within a bricked-up section of a cellar wall beneath a grand villa originally constructed in the late nineteenth century for Theophilus Van Assche, the brewery’s owner.
The property, known locally as the Brouwershuis, is undergoing significant structural changes. The social welfare organization CAW Oost-Vlaanderen is leading the renovation effort to convert the listed building into new offices and housing units. Geert Hillaert of CAW noted that while the exterior features, such as wrought-iron gates bearing the initials 'VA,' remain, the interior is being completely gutted. Only the walls will survive the transformation, a process that inadvertently exposed the concealed compartment where the gold had been stored for decades.
Brewing operations at the site began in 1899 and ceased in 1970. The deliberate concealment of the wealth suggests an intent to protect it from theft or confiscation during periods of instability, though the exact timing of the hiding remains unconfirmed. Piet Buyse, a former mayor of Dendermonde, suggested that the Van Assche family likely retained their fortune and may have chosen gold as a secure store of value. He indicated that hiding such assets in a safe location within the family home would be consistent with the behavior of wealthy individuals seeking to preserve their wealth across generations.
Upon discovering the magnitude of the find, Kobe and his colleagues immediately contacted local police and notified CAW. The workers recognized that the scale of the discovery required official intervention rather than private retention. The gold has since been transported to a secure facility in Brussels. This transfer ensures the safety of the assets while authorities conduct a detailed investigation to establish the legal status of the bullion and coins.
Hanne Ollevier, representing the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office, emphasized that the initial priority is to verify that the gold was not stolen property or linked to criminal activity. Once any potential illicit connections are ruled out, the focus will shift to civil law matters. Belgian legislation requires finders to wait at least five years for potential owners to come forward and claim treasure. This waiting period creates a window during which multiple parties may assert their rights to the fortune.
The legal landscape surrounding the discovery is likely to become complicated. Potential claimants include descendants of the Van Assche family, the building contractors involved in the renovation, and CAW Oost-Vlaanderen as the organization overseeing the property’s redevelopment. Each party may have a valid argument for a share of the proceeds depending on how courts interpret ownership rights versus finder’s rewards. The complexity of these claims suggests that litigation could prolong the resolution of who ultimately benefits from the windfall.
For Kobe, the discovery represents a significant life event, though he acknowledged that the legal process will determine any personal financial gain. He expressed understanding that such a large find must be handed over to authorities, distinguishing it from smaller discoveries that might be kept by the finder. While he remains hopeful for a potential finder’s reward, the immediate outcome is uncertain as the investigation proceeds and competing interests are evaluated under Belgian law.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian World↗Belgian student strikes gold worth €9m while digging sewers
