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For the by few days, rumors of a Nazi gold railroad train have been circulating across the Cyberspace. A pair of hunters (i Polish, one German) contacted the Polish authorities officially and informed them that they possessed data on the terminal location of a Nazi train, secreted during the waning days of World War II. The railroad train is believed to be located nearly the boondocks of Walbrzych (then Waldenburg) after departing from Wroclaw (so Breslau). Today, Poland's head of national heritage, Piotr Zuchowski, held a press conference in which he confirmed that he'south seen a purported image of the train and is 99% sure it actually exists.

An armored Nazi gold railroad train, hidden for decades, and possibly booby-trapped with explosives may sound like the stuff of Hollywood, only at that place'south plenty of historical precedent. Let'south have a expect at the evidence.

Of armored trains and Nazi gold

The phrase "armored railroad train" probably doesn't just mean that the engine had a few gun placements or protected alcoves. Armored trains were outset deployed during the American Civil War, simply saw increasing use throughout the rest of the 19th century and throughout World War I. While they were obviously limited to operating in areas where railroad tracks had been laid and maintained, trains could project a meaning amount of force in a short flow of fourth dimension. Early tanks, for example, were ofttimes barely maneuverable and limited to near-walking speeds by primitive gearing, weak engines, and their own enormous bulk. A railroad train, in contrast, could tow fixed arms for mobile shelling, launch raiding parties, transport troops apace, or even include a field infirmary.

Zaamurets

The WW1-era armored train Zammurets, detailed in a stellar Medium study

Globe State of war I saw the greatest deployment of armored trains, only many were still in utilize in Poland during World War Two. Poland made all-encompassing use of armored trains during its initial resistance to German language occupation, and the Germans themselves developed and deployed some trains for utilize along the Eastern Front. Given that Poland had its own armored trains to starting time with, it's easy to imagine the Nazis still having access to 1 in the waning days of the war.

What about the rumors of Nazi gold? Once more, information technology may sound like Hollywood, but it'south rooted in fact. Every bit the Nazis rose to ability in the 1930s, they systemically plundered their own Jewish population of valuables and resources. Collections of art and cultural artifacts held in museums or at universities were seized on behalf of the state, and books were burned en masse. Past the late 1930s, Germany'south aureate reserves had fallen to dangerous levels; the country is believed to take looted the gold reserves of Republic of austria, occupied Czechoslovakia, and the city of Danzig to replenish its own coffers.

Schachtanlage_Merkers

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Once WW2 began, of class, these policies kicked into overdrive. Equally Hitler's Final Solution took shape and Germany seized much of Europe, the gold and valuables of both targeted minorities and entire nations was seized and liquidated. The jewelry, rings, and valuables of millions of Jews was melted downwards into bullion, while an estimated $550 million in gold (in 1940s prices) was stolen from strange governments. This gold was stored in mines and stockpiles across the country, including the Merkers Mine, as shown above. Nearly 250 tons of gold were found at the Merkers Mine, non including the many valises filled with gold fillings, eyeglass frames, small precious stones, and other personal items taken from victims of the Holocaust.

Rings

Hymeneals rings, seized from Buchenwald. Prototype courtesy of Wikipedia

Nazi Deutschland is believed to take looted xx% of all of the art in Europe. To this day, no complete record exists of how much aureate, jewelry, art, cultural artifacts, and items of value were stolen or destroyed. The thought that a train of gilt could've remained hidden all this time? Not so difficult.

HungarianGold

The real Hungarian gold train. Prototype courtesy of Wikipedia

The thought of a Nazi "aureate railroad train" has a real historical analog as well. On December 15, 1944, a railroad train left Republic of hungary conveying an estimated $570 million to $1.7 billion (in 2007 values) worth of treasure. The gilded and treasure, which left Hungary to escape the advancing Soviet army, made a number of stops to transfer its valuables to various trucks as it meandered through Hungary and into Austria. It was eventually seized by the advancing Allies in May of that twelvemonth.

What exercise we know about this detail 'gold train?'

Co-ordinate to local legend, the Nazis loaded the train with stolen valuables and hid information technology near Ksiaz Castle. The ii treasure hunters claim to have constitute information technology in a buried tunnel in the Sowa Mountains. This would rail with the legend — Ksiaz Castle is three miles abroad from the general area, and served as the Nazi'south base of operations in the expanse. The train was reportedly measured using footing penetrating radar (which can be used to provide the necessary resolution and imaging capability) and is reportedly 100 meters long. There's no word on what its cargo might contain, and the bodily image has not been released. Co-ordinate to Zuchowski, the two men were put on the trail past a deathbed confession of one of the men who worked on it, who besides warned them that the train is protected by explosives.

It's possible that the unabridged report is fake, or that the train is real but has no significant cargo. In this instance, however, even papers and documents related to the war could accept enormous value to historians and researchers. The individuals in question are asking for x% of the value of the cargo in exchange for its location; it is non clear if Poland will concord to this request.

We should know presently, ane way or the other, whether the train really exists or non. Hopefully nosotros've put a scrap of context around a far-fetched rumor, and illustrated how even the craziest of ideas isn't ever that nuts when viewed in the proper perspective.