A routine mowing job in a small German town turned into something far stranger when a worker spotted a metallic glint in the grass.
As Daily Galaxy recounted, what followed was the discovery of 10 gold bars worth about €40,000 (about $46,566) and a failed effort to find anyone who could prove they were the rightful owner.
What happened?
The discovery happened last October in Bannewitz, a Saxon town just south of Dresden. A municipal worker was cutting grass near a rainwater retention basin when he noticed something shining in the freshly mowed strip, per Daily Galaxy.
He initially picked up eight small sealed packages. Officials who checked the area then found two more nearby, bringing the total to 10 gold bars, Brussels Times noted.
Together, the bars weighed about 28 grams each and appeared to have been scattered in what the municipality later described as a "fan-like pattern," the Daily Galaxy said.
Under German civil law, the original owner had six months to come forward and prove the bars belonged to them. During that period, the town received between 12 and 15 inquiries. But while the stories were inventive, no one could back up a claim with a receipt matching the bars' manufacturer registration numbers, Daily Galaxy noted. One claimant said the bars slipped from his pocket during a walk. Another said they had been carried by a drone that failed.
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Without matching proof of purchase or ownership, the inquiries led nowhere, Mayor Heiko Wersig told Süddeutsche Zeitung. Wersig added there was no evidence of foul play or criminal activity either.
What's being done?
With the six-month deadline now expired, ownership of the gold has passed to the municipality of Bannewitz. The town completed the legal process required under German law and rejected claims that could not be substantiated.
"I want to keep nothing that does not belong to me," Wersig said to Süddeutsche Zeitung
Accordingly, Bannewitz is looking to bolster local organizations with the proceeds, according to Daily Galaxy. The lucky few include sports clubs, music schools, the volunteer fire department, and a senior citizens' association, per the publication.
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