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Gelsenkirchen Bank Heist: Sparkasse Reopens ATM Foyer as Vault Stays Sealed

Lawyers for around 200 safe‑deposit customers are moving toward lawsuits challenging the bank’s security standards.

Overview

  • Starting Thursday, the branch foyer and self‑service area will reopen for ATM use, while the main branch and safe‑deposit section remain inaccessible.
  • Police continue a large‑scale investigation after thieves drilled a roughly 40‑centimeter hole into the vault and emptied about 3,100 boxes without triggering an intrusion alarm.
  • Investigators have assigned about 230 officers to the case and are cataloguing roughly 500,000 items found in the vault and an adjacent room, a process expected to take months.
  • Claimants’ attorneys plan to file initial suits at the Essen regional court, arguing duty‑of‑care breaches after hours of drilling allegedly went undetected.
  • The bank says its security met the recognized state of the art and points to a contractual liability cap of about €10,300 per safe, a limit many customers say they did not anticipate.