The thieves also made off with a diamond epaulet that the museum says is one of the most beautifully designed pieces in its collection.

Dozens of police cars could be seen outside the building, located in the Dresdner Residenzschloss, Dresden's royal palace, while investigators could be seen trying to gather what evidence they could.

This Tuesday April 4, 2019 photo shows a part of the collection at Dresden's Green Vault in Dresden. They also were investigating whether a burned-out vehicle was linked to the raid.

Dresden police said they were in contact with colleagues in Berlin to examine "if there are any connections and if there are similar patterns in the crimes".

Lange said that after cutting through a grille and breaking a window, "the suspects came in. walked towards a glass vitrine, smashed it and left, they disappeared".

Europe's largest treasure trove-and possibly the world's-was burgled on Monday morning, German police have said. The responsible energy supplier confirmed the incident and said it was investigating if the two events were linked.

"The whole act lasted only a few minutes", police said in a statement.

The thieves forced their way into Dresden's Green Vault Museum - one of the world's oldest museums holding treasures from around the world - and got away with at least three sets of early 18th century jewellery, including diamonds and rubies, museum staff said.

Marion Ackermann, the museum's general director of state art collections declined to put an exact price on the objects that were stolen.

Police are still carrying out forensic exams of the crime scene and museum officials said they have not yet been able to determine whether all the 100-or-so pieces were missing, but that the sets included intricate and dazzling brooches, buttons, buckles and other items.

All of them are priceless pieces.

Ackermann said the value of the heist was hard to determine, because the work is considered unsellable.

Nevertheless, the stolen items are "of inestimable art-historical and cultural-historical value", she said.

The country's interior minister explained the significance of the heist.

Augustus competed with French monarch Louis XIV to assemble the most extravagant jewellery, she explained, describing the items stolen as "state treasures of the 18th century". He worked to establish Dresden as a major center for the arts, inviting talented sculptors, goldsmiths and painters to take up residence and commissioned a series of magnificent rooms to showcase his valuables as a way of advertising the city's cultural prominence in addition to its wealth.

The museum remained closed and sealed off by police on Monday.

Ackermann said the museum was hoping to reopen later this week, but that it would depend on the police investigation.