Theft of the golden Leibniz cookie

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In early 2013, the golden Leibniz cookie was stolen from the Bahlsen headquarters in Hanover. The item was a 20-kilogram gilded brass model of a Leibniz cookie, created around 1910 by Georg Herting, along with the Brezelmänner (Pretzel Men). The thieves remain unidentified.

Shortly after the theft, a ransom note arrived, with a photo of a person in a Cookie Monster costume and demands that Bahlsen donate chocolate cookies to a children’s hospital and give €1,000 to an animal shelter, or the cookie would be sent “to Oscar in the trash can.” Bahlsen refused to pay the ransom but offered to donate 52,000 packs of cookies to 52 social institutions if the cookie was returned.

In February, the thief indicated willingness to return the cookie. On February 5, the gilded cookie was found tied with a red ribbon to the bronze statue of the Lower Saxony horse outside Leibniz University in Hanover. Police opened an investigation for theft and extortion, checking fingerprints, DNA, and fibers.

A third message on February 7 from the “Cookie Monster” urged Bahlsen to fulfill its promise. On February 8, Bahlsen said it would donate cookies to charitable organizations and invited applications. On February 14, RTL Explosiv aired an anonymous interview with people claiming to be the perpetrators.

After the cookie’s return, prosecutors reclassified the crimes as property damage rather than extortion or theft. On March 14, Bahlsen announced the donation recipients by lottery and began distributing the cookies. The case was closed in May 2013 because the perpetrators were never identified.

The incident attracted intense national and international media attention. Sesame Street denied involvement after reports linked the stunt to the show. Many saw it as a possible marketing stunt, though Bahlsen and others stressed it was a real crime. The stolen cookie had 34 teeth, while the modern version has 52, a detail tied to the symbolism of the 52,000 cookies donated to 52 organizations. The cookie was returned at the Leibniz University campus, named after Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.