Belgian Builders Find €9m Gold Hoard in Cellar

The building is a listed villa erected in the late 19th century for Theophilus Van Assche, owner of a brewery that operated on the site from 1899 until 1970; its wrought-iron gates still bear his initials. It now belongs to CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a social welfare organisation that is gutting the property to create offices and housing. Piet Buyse, a historian and former mayor of Dendermonde, told the news outlet HLN that the Van Assche fortune had "certainly stayed in the family", and that hiding part of it in gold would not surprise him. Prosecutors must first establish that the bullion is neither stolen nor the proceeds of crime before ownership can be settled.

Under Belgian law, a rightful owner has five years to come forward. If nobody does, hidden treasure is divided between the finder and the owner of the property, provided no criminal link emerges — a rule that could leave the contractors, the charity and any Van Assche descendants competing for a share. Geert Hillaert, who directs the welfare organisation, said he hoped the windfall might eventually meet the "enormous need we experience daily". Local police, who changed their Facebook picture to a gold coin, urged the public to stay away after dozens of would-be treasure hunters descended on the demolition site. Kobe agreed that keeping the money was out of the question — the site manager put it bluntly: pocketing such a sum would simply have been theft. Still, the student hopes for a finder's reward.