A burglary took place on Sunday at the museum dedicated to René Lalique, the renowned Art Nouveau and Art Deco jeweller and glassmaker, located near the factory bearing his name in eastern France. Jewellery worth several million euros was stolen, according to a source close to the investigation.
"About 20 pieces of jewellery were stolen. The damage related to the stolen items is still being assessed, but it could amount to several million euros, possibly close to four million," the source said.
The museum, which displays René Lalique's glass creations across a 900-square-metre exhibition space and opened in 2011 in Wingen-sur-Moder, announced that it will remain closed for several days "to prepare for a safe reopening," according to a statement posted on social media.
Individuals wearing masks forced open a door and smashed six display cases containing jewellery, another source close to the investigation said. The stolen items were crystal jewellery without precious stones and could not be melted down.
"An alarm was triggered, but before the security company could verify it, a cleaner who arrived first at the scene was the one who called the police," the first source said.
Mayor expresses anger
Speaking to the regional newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (DNA), Christian Dorsner, mayor of Wingen-sur-Moder, a community of 1,500 residents located about 60km northwest of Strasbourg, said he was "furious."
"All the alarms worked exactly as they should. Then, apparently, there was a major failure on the part of the security company. They did not intervene immediately and did not notify the gendarmerie."
Museum had heightened security after Louvre theft
The Lalique Museum has been considered a "sensitive site" receiving "special attention" following the theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris in October 2025.
"There was a protection mechanism in place, but it was not sufficient," the source close to the investigation commented.
Blow to cultural heritage
Sunday's burglary constitutes "an unacceptable attack on our cultural heritage,"MUSE said Grand Est regional president Franck Leroy in a statement.
"Beyond the works that were stolen, it is an emblematic part of our history, our expertise and our culture that has been struck."
Source: CNA
