Routine work on a building in East Flanders turned into an unusual discovery: workers came across gold bars and coins hidden in the basement, with an estimated value of around €9 million. But after the initial shock, the real issue appears to have shifted to ownership, the investigation and who has the legal right to the treasure.
The discovery emerged during basement work
According to reports from Belgium, contractors were working to restore sewer pipes at a property in East Flanders when, while demolishing basement walls, they found hidden gold.
The workers discovered the treasure while intervening in the building’s foundations. One of them, identified only as Kobe, told public broadcaster VRT that the first reaction was disbelief.
At first, according to his account, they thought they were ordinary coins, but then they also saw a piece of gold and realized they were looking at something much bigger.
Police were notified immediately
The workers and the site manager, according to the reported version, decided not to keep the discovery secret and informed the police.
Belgian authorities said the treasure has been moved to a secure location. Police even used a photo of a gold coin on their Facebook profile and said they hope the discovery ends up in the “right place.”
At the same time, the local prosecutor has opened an investigation, while there is still no clear answer as to who the lawful owner of the found gold is.
The legal battle is expected to last longer than the discovery
The property where the treasure was found is currently owned by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, an organization that provides social support in Dendermonde, a Flemish community with around 47,000 residents.
Its director, Gert Hillaert, expressed surprise and said he hopes the gold will be used to support charitable activity. However, that remains only an expectation, not a legally established fact.
Under Belgian law, the lawful owner has five years to claim the treasure. If no one comes forward within that period, civil law provides that hidden property found on someone else’s land is divided between the finder and the property owner, as long as it is not linked to criminal activity.
A treasure found, but still without an owner
At this stage, the discovery has produced more questions than answers. It is not known who hid the gold, when it was placed there, or whether there is an heir or owner with documents.
This means that, despite the extraordinary value of the discovery, the workers and the organization that owns the property may face a long wait until the matter takes legal shape.
For now, the treasure worth around €9 million remains under the control of the authorities, while its ownership is still unclear.
The discovery has sparked public interest, but the decisive answer will not come from curiosity about the gold, but from documents, legal deadlines and the open investigation.