The heist that shocked GermanyThe robbery took place at a Sparkasse branch in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, during Christmas. Once inside, the burglars forced open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes containing cash, gold and jewellery. The bank said “more than 95 percent of the 3,250 customer safe deposit boxes were broken into by unknown perpetrators”. “We are shocked,” said bank spokesperson Frank Krallmann. As investigators hunt for the suspects, the newly filed lawsuits mark the beginning of what could be a long legal battle over responsibility for one of Germany’s most audacious, Ocean’s Eleven-style bank heists.

Source: The Telegraph January 28, 2026 17:18 UTC