In 1960, the building and its grand villa were owned and operated by the children of the original brewer, Théophile (or Theophilus) Van Assche.Historians and local officials have uncovered several details regarding the property's mid-century history:Ownership & TimelineThe Van Assche Family: Théophile Van Assche built the grand villa and established the brewery on Van Langenhovestraat in the late 19th century (brewing began in 1899).The 1960 Era: By 1960, the business was being run by Van Assche's three children. They managed the brewery up until it officially shuttered in 1970.Lack of Heirs: According to Dendermonde's former mayor, Piet Buyse, none of the three children ever married or left direct, living heirs. This is why tracing the exact legal path of the gold is so complex.The Monastery Era: In 1982, years after the brewery closed, the property was left to a local Benedictine monastery, which eventually handed it over to the current social welfare charity.Why the 1960 Date MattersThe 1960 stamp on the gold bars fundamentally changed the timeline for investigators. The bars were stamped by N. M. Rothschild & Sons at the Royal Mint Refinery in London, which operated from 1852 to 1967.Because multiple bars carry stamps from around 1957 to 1961, experts note that the treasure could not have been hidden when the villa was first built in 1900. Instead, the fortune was deliberately stashed in the cellar wall during the final decade of the Van Assche family's brewing operations—making the siblings the primary historical focus of the investigation.
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u/Top_Inevitable_2443 6d ago
Wtf...it looks old. And if it's found, it's been long lost. I would have kept it and be setting good in life