Gold treasure discovered in Belgium: A former housekeeper speaks out

A former housekeeper, A.M. (77), is convinced that the gold treasure worth 9 million euros, discovered on Thursday on Vanlangenhove Street in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, in the Belgian province of East Flanders, belongs to the Van Assche family, her former employers.

The woman recounted her story to the HLN newspaper. She worked for nearly twenty years for the three children of brewer Theophilus Van Assche: George, Joseph, and Maria. All three children remained unmarried and led very secluded lives. They were, however, held in high regard within the community.

According to A.M., the Van Assches were wealthy but lived a modest life, with a house filled with works of art and a large wine cellar. Joseph died in 1982, followed by his sister Maria six weeks later. A.M. claims that Joseph had written a will to bequeath his fortune to a charitable organization, but that the will disappeared and the entire estate was ultimately awarded to the Abbey of Dendermonde. She herself received no social assistance and found herself homeless after their deaths.

Piet Buyse, former mayor of Termonde, suspects that the family hid their gold in the cellar as a precaution during the banking crisis of the 1930s. The reason why the heirs never revealed the gold’s location remains a mystery. A.M. stands by his position: “This gold treasure belongs to the Van Assche family. I am one hundred percent certain of it.”