Routine renovation work at a historic building in the Flemish town of Dendermonde in Flanders suddenly turned into an extraordinary discovery when construction workers breaking through the walls of a 19th-century brewery uncovered 49 gold bars and approximately 4,000 ancient coins with an estimated value of €9 million.
The remarkable find was made as a team of workers installed new sewage infrastructure as part of a project to convert the old building into housing for homeless people.
Among the workers was 18-year-old Kobi, who had joined the crew during his summer vacation. In an interview with local media, he said that while the thought of keeping the treasure for themselves briefly crossed their minds, they immediately realized that doing so would be illegal and impossible to conceal.
The workers instead reported the discovery to their foreman, and Belgian police were called to the scene to secure the treasure.
The historic building is owned by a local welfare organization. It originally served as a brewery established in the 1890s by Theophile Van Aasche. The brewery closed permanently in 1970, apparently without leaving any clear heirs.
Gert Hilart, head of the organization, expressed hope that if the money ultimately goes to the charity, it could be used to fund major projects for homeless people in the town.
Under Belgian law, a five-year waiting period has been established, during which the original owners or their potential heirs can file a legal claim to the treasure.
So far, three different people have approached police claiming a family connection to the fortune. Authorities are now conducting extensive checks to determine whether their claims are legitimate.
If no legal heir is identified and the treasure is determined to have been legally obtained, the fortune will be divided equally between the finders-led by Kobi and his fellow workers, who hope to receive their share in recognition of their honesty-and the welfare organization that owns the property.