"Art Thriller" Gold Treasure

The great eagle brooch’s discovery history is like something from an "art thriller" from the end of the 19th century. The, at the time, Mainz Museum of Antiquities acquired the brooch in May 1880. The finders initially concealed their true find and sold the brooch to a jeweller. Only police investigations garnered evidence that it was found during sewer construction work on the corner of Stadthausstraße and Schusterstraße.

To this day, it remains unclear whether the other discoveries in what is known as Mainz gold jewellery were also found in this context. They were misappropriated after being found and ended up in the art trade via Wiesbaden. Today they are located in Berlin.