First civil trials open over Gelsenkirchen Sparkasse vault heist; plaintiffs demand €391,000 and €49,000
Nearly six months after one of Germany’s largest bank vault heists, the first two civil trials are scheduled to begin today at the Essen Regional Court, with customers demanding compensation for stolen cash, jewellery and gold coins.
Two customers of the Gelsenkirchen Sparkasse are set to have their claims heard this afternoon in the first civil proceedings stemming from a spectacular break-in over the Christmas 2025 holidays. The court has scheduled the two trials back-to-back, with opening arguments beginning at 14:00 and 14:30.
The break-in
In late December 2025, unknown perpetrators gained access to the bank’s vault through an underground car park and an archive room. Using a heavy‑duty core drill, they bored into the safe‑deposit area and broke open almost all of the roughly 3,100 lockers. Estimates of the total loss run to a possible three‑digit million euro figure. The thieves escaped with their haul and remain untraced.
First lawsuits
The higher‑value claim is brought by a female customer seeking €391,000. She alleges that cash of that amount together with jewellery was stolen from her breached locker. Immediately afterwards, the court will hear a second claim from a male customer demanding close to €49,000 for taken gold coins and family jewellery. Both plaintiffs accuse the bank of grave shortcomings in its security arrangements, noting that the facility was the second‑largest safe‑deposit installation in the country.
It is the second‑largest vault facility in Germany.
- Thieves break into Gelsenkirchen Sparkasse vault and empty almost all 3,100 safe deposit boxes.
- Bank begins returning recovered items to locker holders, starting with documents.
- First two civil trials open at Essen Regional Court; claims for €391,000 and €49,000 heard.
The Sparkasse firmly rejects the allegations, insisting it maintained extensive protective measures.
The bank also challenges the factual basis of the claims, stating it had no knowledge of locker contents and disputes that the plaintiffs owned the described items and that those items were present at the time of the theft. It further notes that it remains unclear exactly what was stolen and what was left behind.There have been no breaches of duty on the part of the Sparkasse.
Insurance and liability
Under the standard rental terms, each locker is insured for a maximum of €10,300 unless a higher sum was separately agreed. The plaintiffs’ lawyer argues that full liability should apply, given the alleged security failures. The bank insists on the contractual limitation.
Leftover belongings
After the heist, the perpetrators abandoned several hundred thousand items in the ransacked vault. From early May 2026, the bank began returning valuables to their owners, starting mainly with documents. According to the Sparkasse, some very valuable objects have since been reclaimed.
