Explosive used in ATM robbery damages Keatsmuseum

An attempt to blow open an ATM in Franeker overnight severely damaged the facade of the Keatsmuseum. It is unclear whether the perpetrators managed to steal any money from the ATM, which was attached to the museum on Voorstraat in the Friesland city. The museum will remain closed in the coming days.

The ATM bombing happened at around 3:40 a.m. on Friday. It blew the ATM out of the wall and left banknotes littering the street, Omrop Fryslan reported. There was a massive bang, a local told the broadcaster. “The emergency lights of all cars went off. I thought: these are not fireworks.”

The perpetrators fled the scene on scooters, going toward the Kleijenburg. The police are looking for witnesses. The Ministry of Defense deployed its Explosive Ordinance Disposal department (EOD) to investigate and remove any explosives that were still live.

The blast severely damaged the Keatsmuseum’s facade. It wasn’t immediately clear whether it caused any damage inside - museum workers weren’t allowed in while the authorities worked.

Keatsmuseum chairman Bram Bonnema said he and his team were devastated. “This is senseless destruction,” he told the local broadcaster. “Behind the ATM there is a display with trophies. I am very concerned about what it looks like inside.”

The sport of keatsen, known in Dutch as kaatsen, is a traditional form of handball with ties to the 12th-century French sport jeu de paume. The Franeker organization claims to be the oldest museum in the Netherlands dedicated to sports. The municipality is home to an annual keatsen tournament held in late July or early August.