The hype began out of the blue: two unknown treasure hunters announced an unprecedented find. According to them, the train they discovered in underground tunnels - a train more than one hundred meters long - is one of the famous "golden trains" of the Third Reich, on which the Nazis tried to hide the treasures looted during the war.
As soon as news leaked to the press, literally hundreds of treasure hunters rushed to the area. The authorities immediately surrounded the tunnels with police and troops, confirming the guesses of the gold diggers. But where did the Nazi train full of gold and jewelry come from, and who, after all, gets such riches?
Hidden treasures
In 1944, the outcome of the war was clear even to the most loyal soldiers of the Third Reich. The allied armies moved forward: it was necessary to save the already plundered treasures. And the leadership of the fallen empire began to shove gold and jewelry into the darkest nooks of the occupied countries, trying to save them for a rainy day. It is still unknown where exactly the Nazis hid their enormous wealth; Thousands of people from all over the world go in search of them every year.
History of the "Giant"
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The Sudetenland was considered one of the safest places for the Reich war ministers. It was here that they intended to hide not only tons of captured gold, but also entire industrial facilities. The launch of the secret project "Giant" was initiated, in which everything needed was to be hidden in huge underground tunnels. The project was taken over by Hitler's personal architect Albert Speer. The large-scale construction could not be completed: only a few tens of kilometers of underground structures were built, where, at the beginning of the Red Army's offensive, the Nazis hurried to drive several trains laden with looted wealth.
Discovered treasures
The treasure hunters have found a "golden composition" in one of the tunnels of the "Giant" project. They were supposed to be transported from Wroclaw to Berlin - but by the time the trains were ready for departure, Berlin was already occupied by the Red Army. The tunnel originates from a local landmark: Ksi Castle served as the headquarters of the German Imperial Railways during the war. There were legends about this place even during the war. Locals assured that it was here that the precious trains were driven. As it turned out, the legends turned out to be true: the images from the georadar, provided by successful gold prospectors, forced the Polish authorities to surround the area with paramilitary police units.
The opinion of the authorities
For starters, the Polish authorities fully agreed with the gold miners' demands for one-tenth of the production. Petr Zhukhovsky, Deputy Minister of Culture of the country, assures that one of the largest "golden trains" of the Third Reich has been discovered. The difficulty lies in the fact that the area was thoroughly mined and it will take a lot of manpower and resources to get to the train.
Who does it all belong to
At least a few more months will pass before the start of work, but several countries have already filed claims for the contents of the composition. Poland prudently assures that all personal belongings will be returned to the heirs of the victims - no one wants to get involved with war-damned wealth. The World Jewish Congress also makes its claims to the content: its representatives insist on the transfer of everything found to Polish Jews. The recent assurance of the director of the castle, Magdalena Voh, adds fuel to the fire that several more trains of the same type are hidden in the Ksienz area.