One of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century was made in the mid-1980s and stolen by its accidental finders. The state authorities sought to recover the treasure as part of an operation codenamed Korona. What happened to this treasure and what artifacts did it contain?
by Rafał Gumiński
On June 6, 1985, construction was underway on a telephone exchange in Środa Śląska, located less than 40 km from Wrocław. During the excavation, workers came across a clay vessel filled with coins. Security Services arrived at the scene, secured the treasure, and transported it to the Archaeological Museum in Wrocław. After analyzing the find, it determined that the clay jug contained 3,771 coins, dating back to the first half of the 14th century. These were mainly Prague and Meissen groschen. While the treasure itself was secured, the site where it was found was not. No archaeological work was conducted at the construction site, and work on the central office soon began. Three years later, on May 24, during the demolition of a nearby house, more clay vessels were discovered. This second find turned out to be even larger than the previous one.
The Origins and Concealment of the Środa Treasure
Who gathered and hid the treasure, and under what circumstances? The treasure was likely hidden by a Jew named Moses, who lived in Środa Śląska. At that time, the city was a rapidly developing trade center. The name of the town, which means Wednesday, reflects the traditional market day. Środa Śląska attracted many wealthy merchants and bankers, including Moses.
Once, a certain Jan, the parish priest of the All Saints’ Chapel in Prague and a member of the court of Charles IV of Luxembourg—the King of Bohemia and Germany and aspirant to the imperial crown—approached the banker. Charles’ plans were ambitious, but also very expensive. To finance his goals, Charles decided to take out a loan. This was not an unusual situation. In the Middle Ages, it was common for the nobility, including princes and kings, to borrow money from bankers or lenders, who were often Jewish. Through Jan, who acted as the king’s intermediary, Charles was able to contact Moses. The banker agreed to lend funds based on the value of the jewels offered as collateral.
Why was the treasure so carefully hidden? In 1348, Europe was struck by the plague known as the Black Death. The plague swept through Europe, killing 1/3 of the continent’s population. Jews were among those blamed for the epidemic, and they were the victims of pogroms and lynchings in many cities. This was probably the reason why Moses decided to hide the treasure with the intention of retrieving it once the situation stabilized. However, he never did so.
In Search of the Royal Treasure
The treasure remained hidden for nearly 800 years before finally being discovered, and the authorities struggled to secure it properly. The day after its discovery, a team of researchers from Wrocław arrived to examine the treasure only to find it had been significantly reduced in size. News of the find spread very quickly through the small town, triggering a kind of gold rush among its inhabitants. Self-proclaimed treasure hunters and black marketeers began stealing artifacts. The discovery attracted interested parties from all over Poland and even abroad. Despite the presence of militia officers guarding the site, the situation spiraled out of control. Rumors spread that valuable artifacts could also be found on the grounds of the Municipal Sports and Recreation Center named in honor of the 30th Anniversary of the Polish People’s Republic. Looters seized every opportunity to make off with valuable items. The stolen treasure soon became objects of barter. Coins and jewelry were bartered for things like coffee, chocolate, or other high-quality goods.
Eventually, official archaeological excavations were established, and thearchaeologists, supported by local youth and social activists, arrived on site. Recovering the stolen property quickly became a priority. To this end, local authorities launched a campaign to buy back the items from private individuals who had found them. However, the results were unsatisfactory, prompting state services to join the effort. Even Aleksander Krawczuk, the minister at the time, made a special appeal to those who possessed pieces of the treasure. A reward worth three times the value of the finds was issued for the return of the artifacts. This appeal and the substantial reward prompted a significant response, and many people returned the valuables they had found, but many elements of the treasure remained missing.
Operation Korona (Crown)
Since not all the artifacts were returned voluntarily, the citizens’ militia launched a nationwide search operation codenamed “Korona.” This operation led to numerous charges, criminal trials, and over 50 search warrants issued by the prosecutor’s office. The operation ended in partial success. While many items were recovered, not everything was recovered. This is understandable, given that some of the artifacts likely left Poland in private hands.
As a result of Operation Korona, the authorities announced the recovery of the several key artifacts: 8 segments of a crown adorned with 6 eagles and fastened with 6 pins with finials, a circular breastpin with a cameo (one of the largest in the world), a pair of pendants decorated on both sides, another pair of pendants decorated on one side, a bracelet, 3 decorative rings, a narrow ribbon made of gold sheet, 3,924 silver coins, and 39 zlotys. However, the case remains open, and new artifacts continue to be recovered. For example, in 2005, the police recovered two fragments of the crown—an eagle decorated with three pearls and a finial, a ring with an inscription, a pearl, and a coin dated to the 13th century.
The Crown of Blanche of Valois
Who owned the crown that is considered the most valuable element of the discovery? It is believed that its original owner was probably Blanche of Valois, the first wife of Charles IV of Luxembourg. The couple first met at the court of the French king, Charles IV, in 1323. Their marriage was arranged shortly thereafter. The wedding took place 6 years later, when they were both just 13 years old. Blanche and Charles developed a close bond, and her death in 1348 was a significant blow to him.
The crown inherited from his deceased wife was among the most valuable of the jewels that Charles IV was to pledge to a banker from Środa Śląska. What is its provenance? The crown was most likely made by Sicilian master goldsmiths at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. By the time it came into the possession of Moses, it had undergone several renovations. The crown was made from an alloy of gold and silver with a copper admixture and 195 precious stones (112 of which have survived), including pearls, garnets, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarines, chrysoprase, and green glass.
The crown was a wedding crown, as indicated by the symbolism of its individual elements, especially the rings held in the beaks of eagles, a motif derived from Byzantine art, and florins symbolizing a garden, a wedding wreath, and the blooming love of the spouses. The colors of the gems also held symbolic significance: green symbolizes love, hope, happiness, and fertility; blue stood for fidelity; and red symbolized royal dignity.
Other Artifacts From the Środa Treasure
In addition to coins, the treasure included several notable items: a circular breastpin with a chalcedony cameo in the form of an imperial eagle, adorned with precious stones, crafted in an Italian workshop in the second half of the 13th century, a pair of gold pendants from the 12th century, decorated with gemstones set one above the other; a pair of 13th-century pendants, decorated on one side; a gold ribbon with embossed ornamentation; a ring with dragon heads that once held a precious stone; a ring set with a sapphire; a ring with a pearl; a signet ring with a star and a crescent moon; and a breastpin made of gold wire.
The artifacts from the Środa treasure are now displayed in three museums in Lower Silesia: the Archaeological Museum in Wrocław, the National Museum in Wrocław, and the Regional Museum in Środa Śląska.
Author: Rafał Gumiński
Translation: Alicja Rose & Jessica Sirotin
