Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:04,208 --> 00:00:07,542
{\an1}Tonight, an enduring
World War II mystery.
2
00:00:07,667 --> 00:00:10,542
{\an1}Somewhere, the Nazis
are sitting on a stockpile
3
00:00:10,667 --> 00:00:13,000
{\an1}of confiscated wealth.
4
00:00:13,125 --> 00:00:17,000
{\an1}Vast amounts of art, gold,
silver, and currency
5
00:00:17,083 --> 00:00:21,125
{\an1}are looted by the Nazis
and stashed all over Europe.
6
00:00:22,333 --> 00:00:24,750
{\an1}Anything of value
that can be stolen, they steal.
7
00:00:26,292 --> 00:00:27,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: Though some
is recovered
8
00:00:27,750 --> 00:00:31,375
{\an1}in astonishing finds,
much more is still missing.
9
00:00:31,500 --> 00:00:33,333
{\an1}KEVIN HYMEL:
Now, the mystery begins.
10
00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:36,583
{\an1}Where else did the Nazis
hide their wealth?
11
00:00:36,708 --> 00:00:40,083
{\an1}We'll explore the top theories
surrounding this lost treasure.
12
00:00:40,208 --> 00:00:42,917
{\an1}MARTIN MORGAN:
The CIA documents show this gold
13
00:00:43,042 --> 00:00:47,000
{\an1}is linked to these
high-ranking Croatian priests.
14
00:00:47,125 --> 00:00:50,333
{\an1}The Nazi gold train was found
in the Owl Mountains.
15
00:00:50,458 --> 00:00:52,208
{\an1}KEVIN: The diary says
that something around
16
00:00:52,375 --> 00:00:56,625
{\an1}$7 million worth of Nazi gold
was stolen by this officer.
17
00:00:56,750 --> 00:00:58,833
{\an1}Where did the Nazis
take their stolen loot,
18
00:00:58,917 --> 00:01:01,667
{\an1}and can it ever be found?
19
00:01:01,833 --> 00:01:04,250
{\an1}[music]
20
00:01:16,833 --> 00:01:20,792
{\an1}April 1945, as Allied forces
21
00:01:20,917 --> 00:01:23,000
{\an1}advance into Nazi territory,
22
00:01:23,083 --> 00:01:27,333
{\an1}they occupy the small town
of Merkers, Germany.
23
00:01:27,458 --> 00:01:29,083
{\an1}Merkers is right
outside of Frankfurt.
24
00:01:29,083 --> 00:01:32,167
{\an1}From a strategic perspective,
it's f
25
00:01:32,292 --> 00:01:35,458
{\an1}The only thing notable
is a salt and potassium mine.
26
00:01:35,542 --> 00:01:38,333
{\an1}AMORY SILVERTSON: On the morning
of April 6th, 1945,
27
00:01:38,458 --> 00:01:40,042
{\an1}American military policemen
28
00:01:40,167 --> 00:01:41,625
{\an1}are patrolling an area
29
00:01:41,750 --> 00:01:42,792
{\an1}outside of Merkers
30
00:01:42,875 --> 00:01:44,958
{\an1}when they stop
two refugee women
31
00:01:45,042 --> 00:01:47,125
{\an1}for violating a curfew.
32
00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:48,708
{\an1}KEVIN:
As they're driving them back
33
00:01:48,833 --> 00:01:52,000
{\an1}to the American command post,
a German-speaking American MP,
34
00:01:52,125 --> 00:01:55,083
{\an1}Richard Mootz,
starts interrogating the women.
35
00:01:55,208 --> 00:01:56,625
{\an1}He wants to know
why they're out walking
36
00:01:56,708 --> 00:01:58,000
{\an1}in spite of the curfew.
37
00:01:58,125 --> 00:02:00,333
{\an1}AMORY: As they drive
by the Kaiseroda Mine,
38
00:02:00,458 --> 00:02:03,167
{\an1}the women say,
"Forget the curfew.
39
00:02:03,333 --> 00:02:05,542
{\an1}"How would you like to know
about a significant amount
40
00:02:05,708 --> 00:02:06,833
{\an1}of stolen treasure?"
41
00:02:08,458 --> 00:02:09,833
{\an1}LAURENCE: That question
immediately sparks
42
00:02:09,958 --> 00:02:11,833
{\an1}intense interest.
43
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,333
{\an1}Rumors of a vast
Nazi treasure horde
44
00:02:14,458 --> 00:02:17,333
{\an1}stored throughout Europe
are rampant.
45
00:02:17,417 --> 00:02:20,333
{\an1}KEVIN: Almost from the moment
that Hitler becomes chancellor
46
00:02:20,417 --> 00:02:23,833
{\an1}of Germany in 1933,
he instructs his military
47
00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,667
{\an1}to start stealing gold.
48
00:02:25,792 --> 00:02:27,167
{\an1}AMORY: This begins domestically,
49
00:02:27,292 --> 00:02:29,667
{\an1}confiscating money
from local banks
50
00:02:29,833 --> 00:02:32,208
{\an1}and from Jewish citizens
that are being displaced
51
00:02:32,333 --> 00:02:35,333
{\an1}from their homes and sent
to concentration camps.
52
00:02:35,458 --> 00:02:37,833
{\an1}KEVIN: Once Hitler's army
start invading other countries,
53
00:02:37,917 --> 00:02:39,542
{\an1}they do more of the same,
54
00:02:39,708 --> 00:02:42,083
{\an1}and it goes beyond
just stealing gold.
55
00:02:42,208 --> 00:02:46,083
{\an1}MARTIN: Artwork, jewelry,
silver, platinum--
56
00:02:46,208 --> 00:02:47,333
{\an1}anything of value that
57
00:02:47,417 --> 00:02:49,333
{\an1}can be stolen, they steal.
58
00:02:49,458 --> 00:02:50,875
{\an1}AMORY: So, when the soldiers
hear the rumor
59
00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,792
{\an1}from these women
about stolen treasure,
60
00:02:53,875 --> 00:02:55,208
{\an1}they definitely take notice.
61
00:02:56,500 --> 00:02:57,708
{\an1}LAURENCE: The news
quickly reaches
62
00:02:57,833 --> 00:03:00,208
{\an1}U.S. General George S. Patton,
63
00:03:00,375 --> 00:03:03,500
{\an1}commander of the Third Army
in Germany.
64
00:03:03,583 --> 00:03:05,125
{\an1}AMORY: By the time
General Patton
65
00:03:05,250 --> 00:03:07,333
{\an1}hears this particular story
from Merkers,
66
00:03:07,500 --> 00:03:09,458
{\an1}the Allies estimate
that Nazi Germany
67
00:03:09,542 --> 00:03:13,625
{\an1}has taken nearly $600 million
worth of stolen gold.
68
00:03:13,708 --> 00:03:17,125
{\an1}This includes 223 million
from Belgium,
69
00:03:17,208 --> 00:03:19,333
{\an1}193 million
from The Netherlands,
70
00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:22,333
{\an1}additional gold from Austria
and Czechoslovakia.
71
00:03:22,458 --> 00:03:24,458
{\an1}And that's just
what Patton knows about.
72
00:03:24,542 --> 00:03:27,208
{\an1}It doesn't include millions more
in stolen gold
73
00:03:27,333 --> 00:03:30,292
{\an1}from private citizens
and businesses.
74
00:03:30,375 --> 00:03:34,083
{\an1}LAURENCE: Despite these
estimates, Patton is wary.
75
00:03:34,208 --> 00:03:36,208
{\an1}AMORY: Lots of people
have tried to get leniency
76
00:03:36,375 --> 00:03:38,583
{\an1}with promises
of hidden Nazi treasures,
77
00:03:38,708 --> 00:03:40,500
{\an1}and almost none of it
has panned out.
78
00:03:40,667 --> 00:03:43,833
{\an1}But Patton decides
it's still worth looking into,
79
00:03:43,958 --> 00:03:46,083
{\an1}because he knows that somewhere,
the Nazis are sitting
80
00:03:46,208 --> 00:03:48,458
{\an1}on a stockpile
of confiscated wealth.
81
00:03:48,542 --> 00:03:50,500
{\an1}MARTIN: We always
have to remember
82
00:03:50,625 --> 00:03:53,000
{\an1}that even as late as April 1945,
the end of the Second World War
83
00:03:53,167 --> 00:03:55,083
{\an1}was not a forgone conclusion,
84
00:03:55,208 --> 00:03:57,333
{\an1}and lots of things
could have gone wrong.
85
00:03:57,458 --> 00:04:00,625
{\an1}Depriving the enemy of
a significant quantity of gold
86
00:04:00,708 --> 00:04:04,333
{\an1}is the equivalent of driving
a nail into his coffin.
87
00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:06,000
{\an1}KEVIN: Finding any part
of this treasure
88
00:04:06,125 --> 00:04:08,000
{\an1}will help the Allied
war effort.
89
00:04:08,125 --> 00:04:10,625
{\an1}The only question is,
where is it?
90
00:04:10,708 --> 00:04:12,333
{\an1}AMORY: According to
the two women
91
00:04:12,417 --> 00:04:14,375
{\an1}detained in Merkers,
it's there,
92
00:04:14,542 --> 00:04:18,207
{\an1}deep underground
in the local salt mine.
93
00:04:20,832 --> 00:04:22,917
{\an1}MARTIN: These women claim
to have eyewitnessed
94
00:04:23,042 --> 00:04:24,667
{\an1}these valuables
being transported
95
00:04:24,792 --> 00:04:26,292
{\an1}on trucks and crates.
96
00:04:26,375 --> 00:04:28,832
{\an1}And when valuables are moving
in the wrong direction,
97
00:04:28,957 --> 00:04:31,207
{\an1}meaning moving to the mine
and going down into it
98
00:04:31,332 --> 00:04:32,832
{\an1}rather than the other
way around,
99
00:04:32,917 --> 00:04:34,000
{\an1}that's where their suspicion
100
00:04:34,125 --> 00:04:36,250
{\an1}about things
of great value came from.
101
00:04:36,375 --> 00:04:39,207
{\an1}AMORY: Within hours of the women
telling their story,
102
00:04:39,375 --> 00:04:42,582
{\an1}General Patton sends a bunch
of resources to Merkers.
103
00:04:42,707 --> 00:04:44,167
{\an1}MARTIN: He has to use
fighting forces
104
00:04:44,292 --> 00:04:45,832
{\an1}that would otherwise
be committed to battle,
105
00:04:45,957 --> 00:04:47,750
{\an1}and designate them to come back
to Merkers
106
00:04:47,875 --> 00:04:51,167
{\an1}to provide a security cordon
around the area,
107
00:04:51,332 --> 00:04:53,167
{\an1}because after all,
he has to exercise great caution
108
00:04:53,292 --> 00:04:55,000
{\an1}that this might be a trap.
109
00:04:55,125 --> 00:04:58,167
{\an1}LAURENCE: The next day,
April 7th, American soldiers
110
00:04:58,292 --> 00:05:01,500
{\an1}start interviewing
other eyewitnesses.
111
00:05:01,625 --> 00:05:04,167
{\an1}KEVIN: They talk to several men
in and around Merkers
112
00:05:04,250 --> 00:05:06,333
{\an1}who were forced
to work in the mine,
113
00:05:06,417 --> 00:05:09,833
{\an1}either clearing out rooms
or bringing gold down into it.
114
00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,667
{\an1}AMORY: One British POW
who had also been forced
115
00:05:12,792 --> 00:05:16,500
{\an1}to work in the mine tries
to make a sort of crude map
116
00:05:16,582 --> 00:05:18,375
{\an1}for the Americans
to show them the location
117
00:05:18,542 --> 00:05:19,707
{\an1}of the treasure room.
118
00:05:19,875 --> 00:05:22,332
{\an1}KEVIN: Army engineers
survey the area
119
00:05:22,457 --> 00:05:25,332
{\an1}and start making plans
to descend into the mine.
120
00:05:25,417 --> 00:05:26,667
{\an1}AMORY:
Patton tells everyone to keep
121
00:05:26,832 --> 00:05:29,332
{\an1}this potential treasure
top-secret.
122
00:05:29,417 --> 00:05:32,332
{\an1}Don't report it to anyone
until they have it in hand.
123
00:05:33,500 --> 00:05:36,875
{\an1}LAURENCE: On April 8th,
American forces enter the mine.
124
00:05:37,042 --> 00:05:38,667
{\an1}MARTIN: I can't imagine what
must have been going
125
00:05:38,750 --> 00:05:40,375
{\an1}through the mind of these troops
as they go down
126
00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:41,792
{\an1}into this deep mine.
127
00:05:41,875 --> 00:05:43,332
{\an1}They don't know
what they're going
128
00:05:43,500 --> 00:05:45,500
{\an1}to encounter down there,
they don't know who
129
00:05:45,625 --> 00:05:47,250
{\an1}they're going to encounter
down there.
130
00:05:47,375 --> 00:05:49,000
{\an1}KEVIN: There could be
armed Nazi guards,
131
00:05:49,082 --> 00:05:52,375
{\an1}there could be booby traps,
there could be nothing.
132
00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:55,250
{\an1}MARTIN: Exploring this mine
was no small task.
133
00:05:55,375 --> 00:05:57,042
{\an1}It's a network of tunnels
below the surface,
134
00:05:57,167 --> 00:05:59,542
{\an1}18 square miles
in overall size.
135
00:05:59,707 --> 00:06:01,500
{\an1}There's no convenient signage.
136
00:06:01,667 --> 00:06:03,833
{\an1}There's nothing that says,
"Nazi gold, this way."
137
00:06:03,958 --> 00:06:06,250
{\an1}KEVIN: But based on
the interviews with people
138
00:06:06,375 --> 00:06:09,000
{\an1}that work there,
they know to go to a room
139
00:06:09,167 --> 00:06:10,667
{\an1}called Room Eight.
140
00:06:10,792 --> 00:06:13,250
{\an1}And as they approach,
it's pretty clear
141
00:06:13,375 --> 00:06:15,458
{\an1}there's something
very important inside it.
142
00:06:16,707 --> 00:06:20,042
{\an1}LAURENCE: The room is sealed
by a huge steel door.
143
00:06:20,167 --> 00:06:21,667
{\an1}AMORY: The door is impenetrable.
144
00:06:21,832 --> 00:06:25,750
{\an1}But the engineers figure
the adjacent brick wall is not.
145
00:06:25,875 --> 00:06:28,082
{\an1}So, they load up one side
with dynamite.
146
00:06:28,207 --> 00:06:29,582
{\an1}That's how they open the vault.
147
00:06:29,707 --> 00:06:30,917
{\an1}[explosion]
148
00:06:31,042 --> 00:06:33,125
{\an1}KEVIN: The first thing
the American soldiers see
149
00:06:33,250 --> 00:06:36,457
{\an1}is gold-- literally
tons of gold.
150
00:06:36,582 --> 00:06:38,542
{\an1}This is the motherlode.
151
00:06:38,667 --> 00:06:40,250
{\an1}MARTIN: Room Eight's
not a room at all.
152
00:06:40,375 --> 00:06:42,125
{\an1}It's more of a cavern
than anything.
153
00:06:42,250 --> 00:06:45,957
{\an1}It's 75 feet wide,
150 feet deep,
154
00:06:46,082 --> 00:06:50,667
{\an1}12-foot ceilings--
it's a massive open space.
155
00:06:50,792 --> 00:06:55,207
{\an1}AMORY: They count 8,198
individual bars of gold,
156
00:06:55,332 --> 00:06:57,707
{\an1}each worth thousands of dollars.
157
00:06:57,875 --> 00:07:00,917
{\an1}MARTIN: The world hasn't seen
this much gold in one place
158
00:07:01,042 --> 00:07:02,667
{\an1}outside of Fort Knox.
159
00:07:02,833 --> 00:07:05,500
{\an1}LAURENCE: And that's just
the beginning.
160
00:07:05,625 --> 00:07:07,667
{\an1}KEVIN: Besides the gold bars,
161
00:07:07,750 --> 00:07:10,708
{\an1}they also find gold bullion,
currency from England,
162
00:07:10,875 --> 00:07:14,333
{\an1}France, and Germany,
gold coins, platinum,
163
00:07:14,458 --> 00:07:16,832
{\an1}and the plates used
to make German Reichsmarks.
164
00:07:16,957 --> 00:07:19,167
{\an1}LAURENCE: Also hidden
in the mine,
165
00:07:19,292 --> 00:07:23,000
{\an1}hundreds of priceless
stolen artworks.
166
00:07:23,082 --> 00:07:24,667
{\an1}MARTIN: In other words,
this was the largest
167
00:07:24,792 --> 00:07:26,332
{\an1}German pawn shop of the time.
168
00:07:26,417 --> 00:07:28,667
{\an1}Anything that had
any value at all
169
00:07:28,832 --> 00:07:31,250
{\an1}had been crammed
into this one cavern
170
00:07:31,375 --> 00:07:33,417
{\an1}inside this mine complex.
171
00:07:33,542 --> 00:07:36,375
{\an1}KEVIN: So, everyone is ecstatic
and amazed
172
00:07:36,542 --> 00:07:38,625
{\an1}by this once-in-a-lifetime
discovery.
173
00:07:38,750 --> 00:07:41,457
{\an1}There's so many riches,
so many treasures.
174
00:07:41,542 --> 00:07:43,292
{\an1}But then they get
to the back of the room,
175
00:07:43,375 --> 00:07:45,875
{\an1}and the mood changes.
176
00:07:46,042 --> 00:07:47,542
{\an1}AMORY: In addition
to the precious metals,
177
00:07:47,667 --> 00:07:50,542
{\an1}they find 189 suitcases
178
00:07:50,667 --> 00:07:53,832
{\an1}filled with gold
and silver household items
179
00:07:53,957 --> 00:07:56,707
{\an1}that have clearly been stolen
from everyday people.
180
00:07:56,832 --> 00:07:58,207
{\an1}But that's not the worst of it.
181
00:07:58,375 --> 00:08:01,708
{\an1}In some of the suitcases,
they find a horrific sight--
182
00:08:01,875 --> 00:08:05,042
{\an1}hundreds and hundreds of teeth,
183
00:08:05,208 --> 00:08:08,833
{\an1}human teeth that all have
gold fillings in them.
184
00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,458
{\an1}KEVIN: Nobody has to ask where
these gold fillings came from.
185
00:08:11,542 --> 00:08:12,750
{\an1}They already know.
186
00:08:12,875 --> 00:08:15,333
{\an1}They're the teeth
of thousands of Jews
187
00:08:15,458 --> 00:08:17,707
{\an1}extracted from the living
and the dead
188
00:08:17,832 --> 00:08:19,667
{\an1}in concentration camps.
189
00:08:19,832 --> 00:08:22,332
{\an1}MARTIN: They had gold fillings
ripped out of their head,
190
00:08:22,457 --> 00:08:24,500
{\an1}because that gold had value.
191
00:08:24,625 --> 00:08:28,457
{\an1}It gives you an idea
of how cynical
192
00:08:28,542 --> 00:08:32,792
{\an1}the Nazi view was
towards humanity,
193
00:08:32,917 --> 00:08:35,667
{\an1}towards human decency
and dignity.
194
00:08:35,792 --> 00:08:39,167
{\an1}I don't know of anybody else
besides the Nazis
195
00:08:39,292 --> 00:08:40,625
{\an1}who did anything like that.
196
00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:44,958
{\an1}LAURENCE: As they come to terms
with their grisly discovery,
197
00:08:45,083 --> 00:08:48,250
{\an1}American forces need
to figure out the next steps.
198
00:08:48,375 --> 00:08:53,083
{\an1}It's a task so daunting that
Generals Patton and Eisenhower
199
00:08:53,208 --> 00:08:55,833
{\an1}show up in person to supervise.
200
00:08:55,958 --> 00:08:58,083
{\an1}AMORY: The generals approve
a logistical plan
201
00:08:58,208 --> 00:09:02,375
{\an1}to get all this heavy stuff out
from 2,000 feet below the ground
202
00:09:02,500 --> 00:09:04,125
{\an1}and move it to safety.
203
00:09:04,250 --> 00:09:06,708
{\an1}Remember, there's still
a war going on very close by,
204
00:09:06,875 --> 00:09:11,000
{\an1}so it's an already difficult job
made even harder.
205
00:09:11,083 --> 00:09:13,917
{\an1}MARTIN: As all of this material
is moved from inside the mine
206
00:09:14,042 --> 00:09:16,250
{\an1}to above ground,
it's taken into Frankfurt
207
00:09:16,375 --> 00:09:17,833
{\an1}to an old bank building
208
00:09:17,958 --> 00:09:19,542
{\an1}that had been captured
by Allied forces.
209
00:09:19,708 --> 00:09:23,042
{\an1}And as all of the material
is being deposited at that bank,
210
00:09:23,167 --> 00:09:25,833
{\an1}and an accounting of all of it
is being completed,
211
00:09:25,917 --> 00:09:27,500
{\an1}there's recognition for the fact
212
00:09:27,583 --> 00:09:28,792
{\an1}that there's a lot
still missing.
213
00:09:30,042 --> 00:09:31,750
{\an1}AMORY: The gold, silver,
and currency
214
00:09:31,875 --> 00:09:36,292
{\an1}that was found at Merkers
adds up to about $250 million.
215
00:09:36,375 --> 00:09:38,000
{\an1}But according
to Allied estimates,
216
00:09:38,125 --> 00:09:41,833
{\an1}the Nazis stole closer
to $600 million.
217
00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,125
{\an1}So, what was found at Merkers
isn't all of it.
218
00:09:45,250 --> 00:09:46,833
{\an1}Not even close.
219
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:48,500
{\an1}KEVIN: This of course
means one thing--
220
00:09:48,583 --> 00:09:50,500
{\an1}there's more out there.
221
00:09:50,667 --> 00:09:52,625
{\an1}So now, the real mystery begins.
222
00:09:52,750 --> 00:09:55,750
{\an1}Where else did the Nazis
hide their stolen treasure?
223
00:09:59,708 --> 00:10:02,125
{\an1}The discovery of
250 Million dollars
224
00:10:02,208 --> 00:10:06,542
{\an1}in stolen Nazi loot
in Merkers, Germany, in 1945
225
00:10:06,667 --> 00:10:09,042
{\an1}inspires a military
treasure hunt
226
00:10:09,167 --> 00:10:13,458
{\an1}that lasts long after the end
of World War II.
227
00:10:13,542 --> 00:10:15,167
{\an1}The U.S. and our allies
228
00:10:15,250 --> 00:10:16,708
{\an1}continue to occupy the area
229
00:10:16,833 --> 00:10:18,500
{\an1}for many months after the war.
230
00:10:18,625 --> 00:10:20,250
{\an1}There's a lot of work
to be done--
231
00:10:20,375 --> 00:10:23,208
{\an1}helping displaced people,
shoring up infrastructure,
232
00:10:23,333 --> 00:10:27,625
{\an1}cleaning up dangerous unused
ammunition and explosives,
233
00:10:27,708 --> 00:10:30,583
{\an1}and trying to track down
more of what the Nazis stole.
234
00:10:31,667 --> 00:10:32,958
{\an1}MARTIN: The overall quantity
of treasure
235
00:10:33,042 --> 00:10:34,708
{\an1}that was discovered
at the Merkers mine
236
00:10:34,833 --> 00:10:36,875
{\an1}is believed to be less than half
237
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:38,792
{\an1}of the total amount of treasure
238
00:10:38,875 --> 00:10:40,500
{\an1}that Nazi Germany looted
239
00:10:40,583 --> 00:10:42,208
{\an1}during the Second World War.
240
00:10:43,375 --> 00:10:46,292
{\an1}AMORY: Remember, this wasn't
their gold to begin with.
241
00:10:46,375 --> 00:10:49,833
{\an1}They took it from governments,
banks, everyday citizens,
242
00:10:49,917 --> 00:10:52,750
{\an1}all of whom deserve
to have it returned.
243
00:10:52,875 --> 00:10:55,167
{\an1}It's estimated
that about 90%
244
00:10:55,250 --> 00:10:58,208
{\an1}of what was found at Merkers
was eventually returned
245
00:10:58,375 --> 00:10:59,833
{\an1}to its rightful owners.
246
00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,042
{\an1}LAURENCE: But where
did they hide the rest?
247
00:11:03,167 --> 00:11:05,500
{\an1}AMORY: After the salt mine,
we know a few things
248
00:11:05,583 --> 00:11:08,250
{\an1}about where the Nazis like
to keep their stolen treasure.
249
00:11:08,375 --> 00:11:10,333
{\an1}It's a remote location.
250
00:11:10,417 --> 00:11:12,958
{\an1}It has cold low-oxygen
conditions
251
00:11:13,042 --> 00:11:15,917
{\an1}ideal for preservation,
and it's a facility
252
00:11:16,042 --> 00:11:17,958
{\an1}that's already
in use for something.
253
00:11:18,083 --> 00:11:19,833
{\an1}So, trucks coming and going
254
00:11:19,958 --> 00:11:21,917
{\an1}wouldn't have been seen
as suspicious.
255
00:11:22,042 --> 00:11:24,042
{\an1}And they don't have to build
a bunch of new stuff.
256
00:11:24,167 --> 00:11:27,292
{\an1}There's already electricity,
manpower,
257
00:11:27,417 --> 00:11:29,542
{\an1}and plenty of storage space.
258
00:11:29,708 --> 00:11:32,083
{\an1}LAURENCE: Among the first
possibilities,
259
00:11:32,208 --> 00:11:37,125
{\an1}a Nazi weapons testing facility
in Austria near Lake Toplitz.
260
00:11:37,250 --> 00:11:42,083
{\an1}Soldiers descend on the area
in May of 1945
261
00:11:42,208 --> 00:11:44,750
{\an1}and begin interviewing
potential witnesses.
262
00:11:44,875 --> 00:11:47,667
{\an1}MARTIN: Ida Weisenbacher
provides a personal account
263
00:11:47,792 --> 00:11:50,375
{\an1}in which she details the way
that German troops
264
00:11:50,542 --> 00:11:52,792
{\an1}arrived at her home,
265
00:11:52,875 --> 00:11:55,792
{\an1}and how they got a truck
stuck in the mud,
266
00:11:55,917 --> 00:11:58,958
{\an1}and they needed assistance
transferring crates
267
00:11:59,042 --> 00:12:02,333
{\an1}that carried something on board,
onto a horse-drawn cart
268
00:12:02,417 --> 00:12:04,792
{\an1}so that they could move them
toward the lake itself.
269
00:12:04,917 --> 00:12:07,042
{\an1}AMORY: Ida described seeing
possibly hundreds
270
00:12:07,167 --> 00:12:09,833
{\an1}of sealed Nazi crates,
and they take the crates
271
00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,500
{\an1}up the mountain
in multiple trips.
272
00:12:12,583 --> 00:12:15,458
{\an1}Ida says she witnesses
all those crates
273
00:12:15,583 --> 00:12:17,750
{\an1}get dumped into Lake Toplitz.
274
00:12:17,875 --> 00:12:19,208
{\an1}Ida, of course, has no idea
275
00:12:19,333 --> 00:12:20,708
{\an1}what's in these crates.
276
00:12:20,833 --> 00:12:23,708
{\an1}But the Allies suspect
it might be Nazi treasure.
277
00:12:28,208 --> 00:12:30,583
{\an1}LAURENCE: Lake Toplitz
sits at the edge
278
00:12:30,708 --> 00:12:32,500
{\an1}of the Austrian Alps,
279
00:12:32,667 --> 00:12:36,083
{\an1}an ideal site
for covert operations.
280
00:12:36,208 --> 00:12:38,750
{\an1}AMORY: It's so remote
and hard to reach.
281
00:12:38,875 --> 00:12:40,875
{\an1}The Allies would never spot it.
282
00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,500
{\an1}It's over a mile long,
a quarter of a mile wide
283
00:12:44,583 --> 00:12:46,958
{\an1}and it has a depth
of up to 300 feet.
284
00:12:47,083 --> 00:12:49,750
{\an1}KEVIN: This area is known
as the Dead Mountains.
285
00:12:49,875 --> 00:12:51,958
{\an1}It's inaccessible
and frozen over
286
00:12:52,042 --> 00:12:53,667
{\an1}for five months of the year.
287
00:12:53,792 --> 00:12:56,333
{\an1}When it is accessible,
its only entrance
288
00:12:56,458 --> 00:12:58,042
{\an1}is a steep dirt path.
289
00:12:58,208 --> 00:13:00,375
{\an1}Let's just say
it's a pretty good place
290
00:13:00,500 --> 00:13:02,500
{\an1}for the Nazis to hide anything.
291
00:13:02,625 --> 00:13:04,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: These same conditions
292
00:13:04,792 --> 00:13:07,542
{\an1}make it a difficult place
to search.
293
00:13:07,667 --> 00:13:09,417
{\an1}First off, it's very hard
to get equipment
294
00:13:09,542 --> 00:13:10,833
{\an1}in and out of there.
295
00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,667
{\an1}An underwater search
of a 300-foot-deep lake
296
00:13:13,792 --> 00:13:16,000
{\an1}requires a lot of machinery.
297
00:13:16,125 --> 00:13:18,958
{\an1}AMORY: Even just sending in
divers is gonna be difficult.
298
00:13:19,083 --> 00:13:22,000
{\an1}'Cause keep in mind,
this is the mid-1940s.
299
00:13:22,125 --> 00:13:25,833
{\an1}At this point, the first
SCUBA apparatus, the Aqua-Lung,
300
00:13:25,958 --> 00:13:28,708
{\an1}has only just been invented
by Jacques Cousteau.
301
00:13:28,833 --> 00:13:30,708
{\an1}And there's no such thing
as a dry suit,
302
00:13:30,875 --> 00:13:32,833
{\an1}which is what divers today
use to keep warm
303
00:13:32,958 --> 00:13:34,292
{\an1}in cold temperatures.
304
00:13:36,542 --> 00:13:40,000
{\an1}LAURENCE: The Navy spends
two years devising a plan
305
00:13:40,083 --> 00:13:42,792
{\an1}to explore
the 300-foot-deep lake.
306
00:13:42,875 --> 00:13:47,833
{\an1}In 1947, they're finally ready.
307
00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,375
{\an1}KEVIN: They go down
about 60 feet,
308
00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:51,125
{\an1}and then they have to stop.
309
00:13:51,208 --> 00:13:54,625
{\an1}They've encountered
an impenetrable wall of wood.
310
00:13:54,708 --> 00:13:56,833
{\an1}Toplitz is surrounded
by a forest,
311
00:13:56,917 --> 00:13:59,500
{\an1}so over the years
trees have fallen into the lake,
312
00:13:59,625 --> 00:14:02,792
{\an1}creating this wooden barrier
about 60 feet down.
313
00:14:02,917 --> 00:14:04,333
{\an1}MARTIN: It's very, very
difficult to operate
314
00:14:04,458 --> 00:14:05,708
{\an1}in that environment.
315
00:14:05,833 --> 00:14:08,208
{\an1}The divers are challenged
just to get beyond it
316
00:14:08,333 --> 00:14:10,083
{\an1}to see what's on
the other side of it.
317
00:14:10,208 --> 00:14:13,833
{\an1}And that could easily hide
things of great value.
318
00:14:13,958 --> 00:14:17,000
{\an1}The divers then begin
swimming along the barrier
319
00:14:17,083 --> 00:14:19,625
{\an1}hoping to find the crates
that may have fallen on top.
320
00:14:19,708 --> 00:14:22,042
{\an1}But sadly,
they don't find anything.
321
00:14:22,167 --> 00:14:24,333
{\an1}STEFAN BURNS: Whatever was in
those crates was heavy enough
322
00:14:24,458 --> 00:14:25,917
{\an1}to sink past that barrier,
323
00:14:26,042 --> 00:14:28,625
{\an1}which implies possibly
Nazi gold.
324
00:14:28,750 --> 00:14:30,167
{\an1}And the fact that these crates
325
00:14:30,292 --> 00:14:31,833
{\an1}sunk to the bottom
of Lake Toplitz
326
00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:33,542
{\an1}means it's extremely difficult
327
00:14:33,667 --> 00:14:35,250
{\an1}to pull them back out.
328
00:14:35,375 --> 00:14:38,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: After one of their
divers drowns in 1947,
329
00:14:38,792 --> 00:14:41,417
{\an1}the Navy calls off the search.
330
00:14:41,542 --> 00:14:42,875
{\an1}KEVIN: The Navy finally decides,
331
00:14:43,042 --> 00:14:45,333
{\an1}this is basically
an impossible task.
332
00:14:45,458 --> 00:14:47,375
{\an1}But that's not gonna stop
others from trying
333
00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:49,167
{\an1}to explore Lake Toplitz.
334
00:14:49,292 --> 00:14:51,917
{\an1}And it doesn't stop people
from dying either.
335
00:14:52,042 --> 00:14:53,833
{\an1}There's a string
of suspicious death
336
00:14:53,958 --> 00:14:55,625
{\an1}associated with Lake Toplitz.
337
00:14:55,750 --> 00:15:00,333
{\an1}LAURENCE: These begin
soon after World War II ends.
338
00:15:00,458 --> 00:15:05,000
{\an1}In 1946, two men,
Helmut Mayer and Ludwig Picher,
339
00:15:05,167 --> 00:15:07,708
{\an1}are both found murdered
near the lake.
340
00:15:07,833 --> 00:15:09,875
{\an1}During the investigation
into this murder,
341
00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,542
{\an1}it is ultimately revealed
that the two men
342
00:15:11,667 --> 00:15:14,500
{\an1}had once worked
at Lake Toplitz during the war.
343
00:15:14,625 --> 00:15:17,083
{\an1}KEVIN: You have to wonder,
did they come back
344
00:15:17,208 --> 00:15:19,958
{\an1}knowing there was something
worth retrieving from that area?
345
00:15:20,042 --> 00:15:21,167
{\an1}They certainly had
the background
346
00:15:21,292 --> 00:15:23,125
{\an1}to know what might
be down there.
347
00:15:23,208 --> 00:15:26,167
{\an1}And if so,
were they killed because of it?
348
00:15:26,250 --> 00:15:30,000
{\an1}LAURENCE: In the 1950s
there are several more deaths.
349
00:15:30,125 --> 00:15:33,000
{\an1}In 1952, a French civilian
is found dead at the lake.
350
00:15:33,083 --> 00:15:35,708
{\an1}And during the investigation
into his death,
351
00:15:35,833 --> 00:15:38,833
{\an1}the bodies of two other people
are found,
352
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,833
{\an1}and those two people
have both been shot in the head.
353
00:15:41,958 --> 00:15:43,167
{\an1}KEVIN: This is getting
kind of creepy.
354
00:15:43,250 --> 00:15:45,292
{\an1}One death, that's one thing.
355
00:15:45,375 --> 00:15:49,292
{\an1}But this is a string
of murders around a lake
356
00:15:49,375 --> 00:15:52,083
{\an1}that supposedly has Nazi gold
at the bottom.
357
00:15:52,208 --> 00:15:54,333
{\an1}AMORY: As these stories start
to spread through the press,
358
00:15:54,500 --> 00:15:56,833
{\an1}more and more people
really do believe
359
00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,167
{\an1}that there is something
secret and valuable
360
00:15:59,292 --> 00:16:03,500
{\an1}hidden at Lake Toplitz,
and maybe someone's guarding it.
361
00:16:03,625 --> 00:16:06,833
{\an1}LAURENCE: In 1959, an expedition
362
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,125
{\an1}sponsored by German magazine
Der Stern,
363
00:16:10,208 --> 00:16:12,625
{\an1}tries to finally
solve the mystery.
364
00:16:12,708 --> 00:16:16,375
{\an1}By this time, diving technology
has improved substantially,
365
00:16:16,500 --> 00:16:19,208
{\an1}so it's slightly less dangerous
to dive the lake.
366
00:16:19,333 --> 00:16:21,833
{\an1}It's not without risk,
but the Der Stern divers
367
00:16:21,917 --> 00:16:24,875
{\an1}are able to stay there for more
than five weeks at the site.
368
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,458
{\an1}And eventually,
they reach the bottom.
369
00:16:28,542 --> 00:16:31,917
{\an1}LAURENCE: What they see
is truly remarkable.
370
00:16:32,042 --> 00:16:33,042
{\an1}KEVIN: The crates
are down there.
371
00:16:33,208 --> 00:16:34,708
{\an1}This is incredible!
372
00:16:34,833 --> 00:16:38,000
{\an1}And they're able to bring
15 of them up to the surface.
373
00:16:38,083 --> 00:16:40,167
{\an1}AMORY: But when they pry
the crates open,
374
00:16:40,292 --> 00:16:41,958
{\an1}they don't find gold.
375
00:16:42,042 --> 00:16:45,583
{\an1}They find paper money,
millions of British pounds--
376
00:16:45,708 --> 00:16:47,792
{\an1}700 million, to be exact.
377
00:16:47,875 --> 00:16:49,292
{\an1}MARTIN: The reason that
the Nazis
378
00:16:49,417 --> 00:16:51,792
{\an1}dumped all of this
British paper currency
379
00:16:51,875 --> 00:16:55,125
{\an1}into Lake Toplitz was because
it was all counterfeit.
380
00:16:55,208 --> 00:16:58,542
{\an1}KEVIN: Back in the 1940s
Adolf Hitler started a plan
381
00:16:58,667 --> 00:17:01,917
{\an1}called Operation Bernhard
to flood Great Britain
382
00:17:02,042 --> 00:17:05,333
{\an1}with fake currency
to drive up inflation
383
00:17:05,416 --> 00:17:07,916
{\an1}and basically wreck
the British economy.
384
00:17:08,041 --> 00:17:11,250
{\an1}AMORY: Operation Bernhard
was never fully realized.
385
00:17:11,375 --> 00:17:13,458
{\an1}And now, thanks to
the Der Stern divers,
386
00:17:13,541 --> 00:17:15,791
{\an1}we now know what happened
to at least some
387
00:17:15,875 --> 00:17:17,833
{\an1}of those counterfeit bills.
388
00:17:17,916 --> 00:17:20,500
{\an1}LAURENCE: But is there more
to uncover?
389
00:17:20,583 --> 00:17:23,958
{\an1}The Der Stern divers reported
that there were more boxes
390
00:17:24,041 --> 00:17:25,666
{\an1}at the bottom of the lake,
391
00:17:25,791 --> 00:17:29,000
{\an1}but because of all the money
already spent on this mission,
392
00:17:29,083 --> 00:17:31,250
{\an1}they were told to leave
those boxes alone.
393
00:17:31,375 --> 00:17:33,083
{\an1}MARTIN: Those 15 crates, though,
394
00:17:33,208 --> 00:17:36,042
{\an1}linked them directly
to Operation Bernhard,
395
00:17:36,208 --> 00:17:38,958
{\an1}and they also established
the truth
396
00:17:39,083 --> 00:17:41,042
{\an1}of the Ida Weisenbacher
personal account.
397
00:17:41,167 --> 00:17:43,708
{\an1}AMORY: In the decades since,
several expeditions,
398
00:17:43,833 --> 00:17:45,667
{\an1}some very well-funded ones,
399
00:17:45,792 --> 00:17:49,000
{\an1}are mounted to try to recover
the rest of the crates.
400
00:17:49,125 --> 00:17:51,333
{\an1}They find some Nazi artifacts.
401
00:17:51,458 --> 00:17:53,667
{\an1}Some divers report
seeing aircraft
402
00:17:53,750 --> 00:17:55,833
{\an1}and other weapons down there,
403
00:17:55,917 --> 00:17:59,167
{\an1}but so far,
no stolen Nazi treasure.
404
00:17:59,292 --> 00:18:01,333
{\an1}Unless we figure out
some technology
405
00:18:01,417 --> 00:18:04,375
{\an1}to go and drain Lake Toplitz,
it doesn't look to me
406
00:18:04,542 --> 00:18:05,833
{\an1}like anybody's ever
going to figure out
407
00:18:05,917 --> 00:18:07,500
{\an1}exactly what's down there.
408
00:18:07,667 --> 00:18:10,250
{\an1}And so, we're gonna have
to live with this mystery
409
00:18:10,375 --> 00:18:11,583
{\an1}for a long time to come.
410
00:18:15,958 --> 00:18:17,500
{\an1}In the immediate aftermath
of the war,
411
00:18:17,625 --> 00:18:19,375
{\an1}the U.S. government
is determined
412
00:18:19,500 --> 00:18:22,125
{\an1}to find more
hidden Nazi treasure.
413
00:18:22,208 --> 00:18:25,125
{\an1}From 1945 until 1948,
414
00:18:25,208 --> 00:18:26,708
{\an1}all branches of the American
military
415
00:18:26,833 --> 00:18:28,125
{\an1}are involved in trying to
416
00:18:28,250 --> 00:18:30,500
{\an1}discover looted Nazi treasure.
417
00:18:30,625 --> 00:18:32,458
{\an1}And one of the elements
of the American military
418
00:18:32,542 --> 00:18:35,333
{\an1}that's involved in this search
is the O.S.S.
419
00:18:35,417 --> 00:18:38,042
{\an1}The O.S.S., the Office
of Strategic Services,
420
00:18:38,208 --> 00:18:39,667
{\an1}is the precursor
421
00:18:39,792 --> 00:18:41,458
{\an1}to today's CIA.
422
00:18:41,583 --> 00:18:46,000
{\an1}LAURENCE: But in 1947,
it's an unexpected agency
423
00:18:46,125 --> 00:18:47,542
{\an1}that makes a breakthrough.
424
00:18:47,667 --> 00:18:49,000
{\an1}MARTIN: When we think
of government agencies
425
00:18:49,125 --> 00:18:50,750
{\an1}and important investigations,
426
00:18:50,875 --> 00:18:54,458
{\an1}we don't think of the U.S.
Department of the Treasury.
427
00:18:54,542 --> 00:18:56,500
{\an1}But as it turns out,
a Treasury agent
428
00:18:56,625 --> 00:19:00,833
{\an1}by the name of Emerson Bigelow
is searching for Nazi treasure.
429
00:19:00,917 --> 00:19:02,875
{\an1}And in many ways,
a Treasury agent
430
00:19:03,042 --> 00:19:06,167
{\an1}is the right person
to go sniffing around this idea
431
00:19:06,292 --> 00:19:08,292
{\an1}of looted Nazi gold.
432
00:19:08,375 --> 00:19:10,958
{\an1}In 1947 Bigelow sends a memo
433
00:19:11,083 --> 00:19:12,625
{\an1}to his superiors claiming
434
00:19:12,708 --> 00:19:13,833
{\an1}to know what happened
435
00:19:13,917 --> 00:19:15,167
{\an1}to a large chunk
436
00:19:15,292 --> 00:19:16,833
{\an1}of the stolen Nazi gold.
437
00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,000
{\an1}His memo is so incendiary
438
00:19:19,125 --> 00:19:21,083
{\an1}that it really just gets swept
under the rug.
439
00:19:21,208 --> 00:19:23,000
{\an1}And it isn't until
50 years later
440
00:19:23,083 --> 00:19:24,625
{\an1}when it gets declassified
441
00:19:24,708 --> 00:19:27,542
{\an1}that this bombshell
finally comes to light.
442
00:19:27,667 --> 00:19:29,583
{\an1}The Bigelow memorandum
is ultimately revealed
443
00:19:29,708 --> 00:19:32,625
{\an1}in a 1997 documentary,
and what he found
444
00:19:32,750 --> 00:19:35,667
{\an1}was that a very, very large
quantity of money
445
00:19:35,750 --> 00:19:38,250
{\an1}went into a bank account
that was owned by the Vatican.
446
00:19:40,750 --> 00:19:43,958
{\an1}LAURENCE: Bigelow's theory
begins in Croatia.
447
00:19:44,042 --> 00:19:45,667
{\an1}In World War II, the Nazis
448
00:19:45,833 --> 00:19:49,000
{\an1}set up a puppet government
in Croatia called the Ustasha.
449
00:19:49,125 --> 00:19:53,167
{\an1}They're in power from 1941
till the end of the war in 1945.
450
00:19:53,333 --> 00:19:54,833
{\an1}Let's be clear--
they're put there
451
00:19:54,958 --> 00:19:57,500
{\an1}by the Nazis,
for the Nazis.
452
00:19:57,583 --> 00:20:01,375
{\an1}AMORY: The Ustasha are just
as vile as the Nazis.
453
00:20:01,542 --> 00:20:05,125
{\an1}They participate in the same
form of racist terrorism
454
00:20:05,208 --> 00:20:07,333
{\an1}that's fueled
by a distorted view
455
00:20:07,458 --> 00:20:10,292
{\an1}of both Roman Catholicism
and Islam--
456
00:20:10,375 --> 00:20:13,458
{\an1}something they called
Croatian Nationalism.
457
00:20:13,542 --> 00:20:17,250
{\an1}Like Hitler, they want to purify
the blood of the country
458
00:20:17,375 --> 00:20:21,667
{\an1}by mass-murdering Jews,
Serbs, and Roma.
459
00:20:21,750 --> 00:20:25,208
{\an1}It's estimated that they kill
hundreds of thousands of people.
460
00:20:25,375 --> 00:20:27,875
{\an1}And the Ustashe extorted gold,
461
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,958
{\an1}and jewels, and other valuables
462
00:20:31,083 --> 00:20:33,458
{\an1}from people who they threatened,
463
00:20:33,542 --> 00:20:36,375
{\an1}saying that, "If you do not
give this to us,
464
00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:39,417
{\an1}you could be shot,
you could be otherwise killed."
465
00:20:39,542 --> 00:20:43,208
{\an1}And so, people who had
the gold, gave it.
466
00:20:43,333 --> 00:20:45,167
{\an1}They were killed
as well as the people
467
00:20:45,250 --> 00:20:47,000
{\an1}who didn't have the gold,
468
00:20:47,125 --> 00:20:48,875
{\an1}but that was
the Ustashe method.
469
00:20:50,875 --> 00:20:54,083
{\an1}LAURENCE: The stolen gold
is sent to Germany's Reichsbank
470
00:20:54,208 --> 00:20:57,500
{\an1}to be melted down into bars
and coins.
471
00:20:57,625 --> 00:20:59,333
{\an1}AMORY: According to
Bigelow's report,
472
00:20:59,417 --> 00:21:01,917
{\an1}towards the end of the war,
the Ustasha make efforts
473
00:21:02,042 --> 00:21:03,792
{\an1}to hide this money,
474
00:21:03,875 --> 00:21:07,417
{\an1}and they also help German Nazis
hide some of theirs.
475
00:21:07,542 --> 00:21:09,750
{\an1}KEVIN: When Bigelow talks
to intelligence agents,
476
00:21:09,875 --> 00:21:13,250
{\an1}they tell him
that 350 million Swiss Francs
477
00:21:13,375 --> 00:21:15,333
{\an1}have been taken
out of the country.
478
00:21:15,417 --> 00:21:16,875
{\an1}LAURENCE: That money
would be worth
479
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,250
{\an1}$1.5 billion today.
480
00:21:20,708 --> 00:21:22,708
{\an1}KEVIN: But more eye-popping
than the amount
481
00:21:22,875 --> 00:21:24,333
{\an1}is what happened to it.
482
00:21:24,500 --> 00:21:27,583
{\an1}According to Bigelow's sources,
that transfer of wealth
483
00:21:27,708 --> 00:21:30,708
{\an1}was overseen by officials
with the Vatican.
484
00:21:30,833 --> 00:21:34,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: Bigelow's sources
claim they have proof.
485
00:21:34,792 --> 00:21:36,250
{\an1}AMORY: Some of it
was discovered.
486
00:21:36,375 --> 00:21:38,667
{\an1}About one-third of it
was confiscated
487
00:21:38,833 --> 00:21:41,167
{\an1}by British authorities
at a checkpoint
488
00:21:41,292 --> 00:21:43,333
{\an1}on the Austria-Switzerland
border.
489
00:21:43,458 --> 00:21:46,667
{\an1}It traveled up from Croatia
into Austria,
490
00:21:46,750 --> 00:21:49,500
{\an1}and Bigelow's sources
believe it was ultimately headed
491
00:21:49,583 --> 00:21:52,583
{\an1}for a Swiss bank account
owned by the Vatican.
492
00:21:52,708 --> 00:21:54,833
{\an1}Meanwhile, according to
the Bigelow memo,
493
00:21:54,917 --> 00:21:58,500
{\an1}approximately 200 million
Swiss Francs' worth of gold
494
00:21:58,667 --> 00:22:01,792
{\an1}did get through to a Vatican
bank account in Switzerland.
495
00:22:02,875 --> 00:22:05,167
{\an1}LAURENCE: Bigelow's research
ends there.
496
00:22:05,250 --> 00:22:08,875
{\an1}But in 1997,
investigative journalists
497
00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:13,833
{\an1}Mark Aarons and John Loftus
pick up where he left off.
498
00:22:13,917 --> 00:22:17,542
{\an1}Mark Aarons has made
a name for himself in Australia
499
00:22:17,667 --> 00:22:19,500
{\an1}for hunting down former Nazis.
500
00:22:19,625 --> 00:22:22,125
{\an1}And John Loftus
is a former prosecutor
501
00:22:22,250 --> 00:22:25,500
{\an1}with the U.S. Department
of Justice's Nazi-hunting unit.
502
00:22:25,667 --> 00:22:29,458
{\an1}In that capacity,
Loftus has access to CIA files.
503
00:22:30,875 --> 00:22:35,542
{\an1}LAURENCE: As they dig deeper,
more shocking evidence emerges.
504
00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:37,417
{\an1}MARTIN: The CIA documents prove
505
00:22:37,542 --> 00:22:39,542
{\an1}that this gold
is directly linked
506
00:22:39,708 --> 00:22:42,792
{\an1}to these high-ranking
Croatian priests in Rome,
507
00:22:42,917 --> 00:22:45,292
{\an1}one of which has
a Vatican association,
508
00:22:45,417 --> 00:22:48,208
{\an1}who are involved in getting
this looted Nazi gold
509
00:22:48,333 --> 00:22:50,125
{\an1}into Swiss bank accounts.
510
00:22:50,208 --> 00:22:53,833
{\an1}LAURENCE: But that money
doesn't stay in there for long.
511
00:22:53,958 --> 00:22:56,667
{\an1}They claim some of the Nazi gold
was used
512
00:22:56,750 --> 00:22:59,583
{\an1}to relocate
Croatian Nazi officials.
513
00:23:03,083 --> 00:23:04,500
{\an1}AMORY: Aarons and Loftus'
research
514
00:23:04,625 --> 00:23:07,500
{\an1}seems to blow the lid
off of a three-part scheme
515
00:23:07,625 --> 00:23:11,500
{\an1}involving the Vatican,
the Nazis, and the Swiss banks.
516
00:23:11,625 --> 00:23:14,250
{\an1}So, when they publish
their research in 1998,
517
00:23:14,375 --> 00:23:15,667
{\an1}what do they call the book?
518
00:23:15,792 --> 00:23:18,000
{\an1}"Unholy Trinity."
519
00:23:18,083 --> 00:23:20,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: Many top-ranking Nazis
are put on trial
520
00:23:20,792 --> 00:23:25,167
{\an1}and executed in Nuremberg
after the war.
521
00:23:25,250 --> 00:23:27,833
{\an1}But the Ustasha
are notably absent.
522
00:23:27,917 --> 00:23:30,250
{\an1}Almost the entire
Ustasha hierarchy
523
00:23:30,375 --> 00:23:33,042
{\an1}just walks away scot-free.
524
00:23:33,208 --> 00:23:37,333
{\an1}Their leader, Ante Pavelic,
aka the Butcher of the Balkans,
525
00:23:37,417 --> 00:23:39,333
{\an1}is actually received
as an honored guest
526
00:23:39,458 --> 00:23:42,042
{\an1}at the Vatican for two years
after the war.
527
00:23:42,167 --> 00:23:45,125
{\an1}Other high-ranking Ustasha
escape to relative luxury
528
00:23:45,208 --> 00:23:46,750
{\an1}in South America,
529
00:23:46,875 --> 00:23:48,667
{\an1}and that's where
some of the gold went.
530
00:23:48,833 --> 00:23:51,583
{\an1}It paid for passports,
transportation,
531
00:23:51,708 --> 00:23:54,292
{\an1}places to live,
food to eat, et cetera.
532
00:23:54,375 --> 00:23:56,833
{\an1}If this is true,
this money goes back
533
00:23:56,958 --> 00:23:58,375
{\an1}into the hands
of the Nazi puppets
534
00:23:58,500 --> 00:24:00,792
{\an1}who stole it in the first place.
535
00:24:01,833 --> 00:24:03,625
{\an1}LAURENCE: According to
Aarons and Loftus,
536
00:24:03,708 --> 00:24:06,708
{\an1}the conspiracy
doesn't end there.
537
00:24:06,833 --> 00:24:08,708
{\an1}KEVIN: Just when you thought
you couldn't be more disgusted
538
00:24:08,875 --> 00:24:11,750
{\an1}by this whole affair,
it gets worse.
539
00:24:11,875 --> 00:24:14,500
{\an1}The authors present evidence
that the CIA
540
00:24:14,667 --> 00:24:17,667
{\an1}not only knew about it,
but they helped make it happen.
541
00:24:17,750 --> 00:24:20,000
{\an1}AMORY: In 1998,
the U.S. Congress
542
00:24:20,125 --> 00:24:23,167
{\an1}passes the Nazi War Crimes
Disclosure Act,
543
00:24:23,250 --> 00:24:26,250
{\an1}which requires the release
of any government records
544
00:24:26,375 --> 00:24:28,708
{\an1}pertaining to Nazi
war criminals.
545
00:24:28,833 --> 00:24:32,500
{\an1}As a result,
over 300,000 pages of documents
546
00:24:32,625 --> 00:24:35,167
{\an1}linking the U.S. Army
and the CIA to this
547
00:24:35,292 --> 00:24:36,833
{\an1}have been disclosed.
548
00:24:36,958 --> 00:24:39,458
{\an1}AMORY: And now, declassified
Army Intelligence reports
549
00:24:39,583 --> 00:24:41,958
{\an1}states that by the summer
of 1947,
550
00:24:42,042 --> 00:24:45,083
{\an1}the U.S. forces
were actively supporting
551
00:24:45,208 --> 00:24:47,000
{\an1}the people-smuggling operation.
552
00:24:47,125 --> 00:24:50,333
{\an1}The CIA wanted Nazis to escape
Europe for two reasons.
553
00:24:50,500 --> 00:24:52,875
{\an1}Some of them
were advanced scientists
554
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:54,708
{\an1}that could help
the U.S. military.
555
00:24:54,875 --> 00:24:56,958
{\an1}Others could be planted in areas
556
00:24:57,083 --> 00:24:59,333
{\an1}that faced the growing threat
of Communism.
557
00:24:59,417 --> 00:25:01,250
{\an1}They placed high-ranking
former Nazis
558
00:25:01,375 --> 00:25:03,458
{\an1}in various
South American countries
559
00:25:03,542 --> 00:25:05,458
{\an1}with a mission to quell
any potential
560
00:25:05,583 --> 00:25:07,292
{\an1}Communist uprisings there
561
00:25:07,417 --> 00:25:10,000
{\an1}and install
U.S.-friendly leadership.
562
00:25:10,083 --> 00:25:13,458
{\an1}One of the most notable examples
is Operation Condor,
563
00:25:13,542 --> 00:25:16,750
{\an1}where Nazi war criminal
Klaus Barbie is used
564
00:25:16,875 --> 00:25:19,708
{\an1}to help overthrow the government
of Bolivia.
565
00:25:20,833 --> 00:25:23,083
{\an1}LAURENCE: The influx of ex-Nazis
into South America
566
00:25:23,208 --> 00:25:25,750
{\an1}is known as the "ratline."
567
00:25:25,875 --> 00:25:28,667
{\an1}According to Bigelow,
Aarons, and Loftus,
568
00:25:28,833 --> 00:25:31,667
{\an1}this ratline operation
was paid for.
569
00:25:31,833 --> 00:25:34,958
{\an1}It was financed
by the very gold
570
00:25:35,042 --> 00:25:36,958
{\an1}that had been looted
by the Ustasha
571
00:25:37,083 --> 00:25:38,750
{\an1}on behalf of Nazi Germany
572
00:25:38,875 --> 00:25:41,042
{\an1}that then ultimately
made its way
573
00:25:41,167 --> 00:25:42,625
{\an1}into Vatican bank accounts.
574
00:25:42,708 --> 00:25:45,000
{\an1}But here's the thing.
Whatever wasn't spent
575
00:25:45,125 --> 00:25:47,208
{\an1}on this nefarious scheme
should still be sitting
576
00:25:47,333 --> 00:25:48,875
{\an1}in the Vatican's bank.
577
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,000
{\an1}This could be hundreds
of millions of dollars in gold,
578
00:25:52,167 --> 00:25:54,500
{\an1}which we'll probably never
be able to recover.
579
00:25:55,583 --> 00:25:57,083
{\an1}MARTIN: Unsurprisingly,
the Vatican
580
00:25:57,208 --> 00:25:58,583
{\an1}denies every last bit of this.
581
00:25:58,708 --> 00:26:01,667
{\an1}This is, of course, a denial
coming from an entity
582
00:26:01,792 --> 00:26:03,708
{\an1}that has a document policy
583
00:26:03,875 --> 00:26:06,708
{\an1}by which they destroy everything
every 10 years.
584
00:26:06,833 --> 00:26:09,542
{\an1}One thing we know--
if history tells us anything,
585
00:26:09,667 --> 00:26:11,500
{\an1}it's that money can corrupt
586
00:26:11,583 --> 00:26:13,792
{\an1}even the most seemingly sacred
institutions.
587
00:26:13,875 --> 00:26:16,875
{\an1}Perhaps someday,
some long lost document
588
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:18,917
{\an1}will show what happened
to all that gold
589
00:26:19,042 --> 00:26:20,708
{\an1}that made its way
to Switzerland.
590
00:26:20,833 --> 00:26:23,958
{\an1}But until then, it's part
of the significant tally
591
00:26:24,042 --> 00:26:25,083
{\an1}that remains lost.
592
00:26:28,958 --> 00:26:31,750
{\an1}By 1948, 3 years
after the end of World War
2
593
00:26:31,875 --> 00:26:34,458
{\an1}the United States government
begins to slow down efforts
594
00:26:34,583 --> 00:26:37,792
{\an1}to locate any additional
stolen Nazi goods.
595
00:26:37,875 --> 00:26:40,792
{\an1}But a global army
of amateur treasure hunters
596
00:26:40,875 --> 00:26:44,458
{\an1}picks up the mantle,
and in 2015,
597
00:26:44,542 --> 00:26:46,583
{\an1}one team announces
a breakthrough.
598
00:26:48,500 --> 00:26:51,667
{\an1}September 4th,
Lower Silesia, Poland.
599
00:26:51,792 --> 00:26:55,000
{\an1}Researchers Piotr Koper
and Andres Richter
600
00:26:55,083 --> 00:26:57,667
{\an1}claim that they know
where to find
601
00:26:57,750 --> 00:27:00,667
{\an1}a massive cache
of Nazi treasure.
602
00:27:00,833 --> 00:27:02,000
{\an1}MARTIN: Koper is Polish,
603
00:27:02,125 --> 00:27:03,500
{\an1}Richter is German.
604
00:27:03,625 --> 00:27:05,250
{\an1}Together, they release
605
00:27:05,375 --> 00:27:06,917
{\an1}an announcement that they have
606
00:27:07,042 --> 00:27:11,500
{\an1}received a deathbed confession
from a former German officer
607
00:27:11,625 --> 00:27:14,708
{\an1}who knew the whereabouts
of a train
608
00:27:14,833 --> 00:27:17,958
{\an1}laden with Nazi gold
that was on its way
609
00:27:18,042 --> 00:27:20,667
{\an1}through Poland
and back to Germany,
610
00:27:20,833 --> 00:27:22,750
{\an1}but it never made it
to its destination.
611
00:27:26,708 --> 00:27:30,667
{\an1}During the war, Hitler orders
that 330 tons of gold
612
00:27:30,792 --> 00:27:32,833
{\an1}will be loaded onto a train
and moved west
613
00:27:32,917 --> 00:27:35,083
{\an1}to a more secure location.
614
00:27:35,208 --> 00:27:37,458
{\an1}AMORY: If this story is true,
this would represent
615
00:27:37,583 --> 00:27:39,250
{\an1}a giant chunk of the gold
616
00:27:39,375 --> 00:27:41,625
{\an1}that we think is still missing.
617
00:27:41,708 --> 00:27:44,125
{\an1}LAURENCE: According
to Koper and Richter,
618
00:27:44,208 --> 00:27:46,500
{\an1}the planned route of the train
was from Breslau
619
00:27:46,667 --> 00:27:50,042
{\an1}to somewhere in Germany,
but at some point
620
00:27:50,167 --> 00:27:54,000
{\an1}the train was diverted and sent
near the city of Bydgoszcz.
621
00:27:54,125 --> 00:27:57,917
{\an1}The question is,
where did it go from there?
622
00:27:58,042 --> 00:28:01,167
{\an1}The pair starts by looking
for potential hiding spots
623
00:28:01,292 --> 00:28:03,500
{\an1}along the train route.
624
00:28:03,583 --> 00:28:04,833
{\an1}AMORY: Hitler is many things,
625
00:28:04,917 --> 00:28:06,833
{\an1}but he's not shortsighted.
626
00:28:06,958 --> 00:28:09,833
{\an1}And by 1943, he sees
how the tides of the war
627
00:28:09,958 --> 00:28:11,500
{\an1}are starting to turn.
628
00:28:11,625 --> 00:28:13,667
{\an1}Allied air raids are increasing,
629
00:28:13,792 --> 00:28:16,792
{\an1}and they're taking a toll
on Hitler's war machine.
630
00:28:16,875 --> 00:28:20,708
{\an1}So, he starts making plans
for worst-case scenarios.
631
00:28:20,833 --> 00:28:22,500
{\an1}This is the beginning
of Project Riese,
632
00:28:22,583 --> 00:28:24,125
{\an1}Hitler's attempt to fortify
633
00:28:24,250 --> 00:28:26,167
{\an1}and move his operations
underground.
634
00:28:26,333 --> 00:28:30,000
{\an1}MARTIN: Project Riese was
a German construction project
635
00:28:30,083 --> 00:28:33,000
{\an1}during the Second World War
that sought to establish
636
00:28:33,167 --> 00:28:36,792
{\an1}this very extensive
underground bunker network
637
00:28:36,875 --> 00:28:39,833
{\an1}in the Owl Mountains
in Silesia.
638
00:28:39,958 --> 00:28:43,208
{\an1}AMORY: The Nazis excavate
a massive labyrinth of tunnels.
639
00:28:43,333 --> 00:28:46,667
{\an1}Though it's never finished,
some suspect the purpose
640
00:28:46,750 --> 00:28:49,083
{\an1}is to create
an underground headquarters
641
00:28:49,208 --> 00:28:51,667
{\an1}and miles of underground
factories
642
00:28:51,833 --> 00:28:53,833
{\an1}safe from Allied bombers.
643
00:28:53,917 --> 00:28:56,500
{\an1}LAURENCE: Koper and Richter
zero in on a location
644
00:28:56,625 --> 00:28:59,458
{\an1}near the Project Riese tunnels.
645
00:28:59,583 --> 00:29:01,958
{\an1}It's a widely held belief
in Poland
646
00:29:02,042 --> 00:29:04,542
{\an1}that this Nazi gold train
could have entered
647
00:29:04,667 --> 00:29:06,958
{\an1}Project Riese locations,
and then ended up
648
00:29:07,083 --> 00:29:10,000
{\an1}where Koper and Richter
are actually looking.
649
00:29:10,125 --> 00:29:12,875
{\an1}At some point in 2015,
Koper and Richter went
650
00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:15,500
{\an1}without a license and used
ground-penetrating radar
651
00:29:15,625 --> 00:29:19,000
{\an1}to do a readout of a site
along the Bydgoszcz rail line.
652
00:29:19,083 --> 00:29:21,667
{\an1}And they believed
that this showed
653
00:29:21,792 --> 00:29:24,167
{\an1}an underground structure,
which they believed
654
00:29:24,292 --> 00:29:27,125
{\an1}was the correct density
to be a train.
655
00:29:28,875 --> 00:29:30,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: Encouraged,
the researchers
656
00:29:30,792 --> 00:29:33,125
{\an1}share their evidence
with the local press.
657
00:29:33,208 --> 00:29:36,125
{\an1}MENACHEM: As Koper and Richter's
claim sort of gets out,
658
00:29:36,250 --> 00:29:38,542
{\an1}the Polish government,
both local and national,
659
00:29:38,667 --> 00:29:39,833
{\an1}are forced to respond.
660
00:29:39,958 --> 00:29:42,042
{\an1}And by and large,
they seem to support
661
00:29:42,208 --> 00:29:44,000
{\an1}the assertion that the train
is there.
662
00:29:44,083 --> 00:29:47,208
{\an1}AMORY: Polish Deputy Culture
Minister Piotr Zuchowski
663
00:29:47,333 --> 00:29:49,750
{\an1}throws the weight of
the government behind the claim,
664
00:29:49,875 --> 00:29:52,750
{\an1}saying that there's
a 99% probability
665
00:29:52,875 --> 00:29:55,333
{\an1}that a train
more than 300 feet long
666
00:29:55,500 --> 00:29:57,833
{\an1}was found in the Owl Mountains.
667
00:29:57,917 --> 00:30:00,417
{\an1}Later, it's also revealed
that Koper and Richter
668
00:30:00,542 --> 00:30:03,167
{\an1}have made a pretty sweet deal
with the Polish government,
669
00:30:03,292 --> 00:30:06,625
{\an1}saying basically, "Hey,
if you support the excavation,
670
00:30:06,708 --> 00:30:09,708
{\an1}we'll give you
90% of the profits."
671
00:30:09,833 --> 00:30:12,250
{\an1}It's an astronomical figure
if it pans out.
672
00:30:13,292 --> 00:30:15,792
{\an1}This, of course,
ignites a media circus,
673
00:30:15,917 --> 00:30:17,292
{\an1}and the hunt is on.
674
00:30:18,583 --> 00:30:20,292
{\an1}LAURENCE: Before they can dig,
675
00:30:20,417 --> 00:30:24,125
{\an1}the Polish Army
is sent in to secure the area.
676
00:30:24,208 --> 00:30:25,542
{\an1}STEFAN: All of Europe
was littered
677
00:30:25,708 --> 00:30:27,042
{\an1}with munitions after the war,
678
00:30:27,208 --> 00:30:29,125
{\an1}and in this area in particular,
679
00:30:29,208 --> 00:30:31,083
{\an1}it was a hotspot
of German activity.
680
00:30:31,208 --> 00:30:33,917
{\an1}So, before there can be
any digging,
681
00:30:34,042 --> 00:30:38,250
{\an1}they have to perform a UXO,
or unexploded ordnance search.
682
00:30:38,375 --> 00:30:41,708
{\an1}AMORY: Then, they clear-cut
the area of its trees.
683
00:30:41,875 --> 00:30:44,167
{\an1}Finally, they scan
and probe the area
684
00:30:44,333 --> 00:30:47,500
{\an1}to certify that there are
no dangerous explosives below.
685
00:30:47,625 --> 00:30:50,917
{\an1}LAURENCE: On August 15th, 2016,
686
00:30:51,042 --> 00:30:53,667
{\an1}Koper and Richter, along with
a large group of volunteers,
687
00:30:53,833 --> 00:30:55,833
{\an1}officially begin digging.
688
00:30:55,958 --> 00:30:58,292
{\an1}STEFAN: This team consisted
of about 60 people.
689
00:30:58,417 --> 00:31:00,833
{\an1}They had a geologist,
they had engineers,
690
00:31:00,958 --> 00:31:03,417
{\an1}they had laborers,
of course Koper and Richter.
691
00:31:03,542 --> 00:31:07,417
{\an1}The cost of this dig amounted
to about $130,000,
692
00:31:07,542 --> 00:31:09,125
{\an1}and it was all funded privately.
693
00:31:09,208 --> 00:31:11,000
{\an1}AMORY: After one week
of digging,
694
00:31:11,125 --> 00:31:15,625
{\an1}the team halts their work,
finding no evidence of a train,
695
00:31:15,750 --> 00:31:18,333
{\an1}train tracks, or any other
manmade objects,
696
00:31:18,458 --> 00:31:21,125
{\an1}at least not to a depth
of 60 feet.
697
00:31:22,083 --> 00:31:24,250
{\an1}STEFAN: They found
that this GPR anomaly
698
00:31:24,375 --> 00:31:27,000
{\an1}turned out to be a natural
geologic formation.
699
00:31:27,125 --> 00:31:29,000
{\an1}Koper and Richter
didn't give up,
700
00:31:29,125 --> 00:31:30,958
{\an1}because at this point,
they claimed to have found
701
00:31:31,042 --> 00:31:32,583
{\an1}many other anomalies,
702
00:31:32,708 --> 00:31:35,167
{\an1}but they simply didn't have
the funds to excavate them.
703
00:31:35,292 --> 00:31:37,833
{\an1}AMORY: Richter eventually
leaves the team,
704
00:31:37,958 --> 00:31:41,500
{\an1}but Koper continues to search
for the Nazi gold train.
705
00:31:41,625 --> 00:31:44,583
{\an1}In 2021, he announces
he's found new evidence
706
00:31:44,708 --> 00:31:48,042
{\an1}of a train at the bottom
of a lake in a Polish village.
707
00:31:48,167 --> 00:31:51,125
{\an1}Additional site analysis
is ongoing,
708
00:31:51,208 --> 00:31:53,542
{\an1}so hopes of recovering
this particular stash
709
00:31:53,667 --> 00:31:55,417
{\an1}of Nazi gold aren't over yet.
710
00:31:59,250 --> 00:32:03,167
{\an1}By 2016, most searches for
stolen nazi plunder
711
00:32:03,333 --> 00:32:05,917
{\an1}are helmed by amateur
investigators.
712
00:32:06,042 --> 00:32:09,958
{\an1}Among them, German
treasure hunter Jurgen Proske,
713
00:32:10,042 --> 00:32:12,958
{\an1}who's working on
a unique approach.
714
00:32:13,083 --> 00:32:14,625
{\an1}MARTIN: Proske's taken
a different method
715
00:32:14,708 --> 00:32:15,833
{\an1}for looking into
looted Nazi gold,
716
00:32:15,958 --> 00:32:18,083
{\an1}whereas others are more consumed
717
00:32:18,208 --> 00:32:19,958
{\an1}by trying to find additional
718
00:32:20,042 --> 00:32:21,667
{\an1}hordes or deposits of gold
719
00:32:21,750 --> 00:32:23,458
{\an1}that are undiscovered out there.
720
00:32:23,542 --> 00:32:25,667
{\an1}What Proske is doing,
is he's looking at the records
721
00:32:25,792 --> 00:32:28,958
{\an1}associated with hordes that have
already been discovered
722
00:32:29,083 --> 00:32:31,167
{\an1}to determine
if anything was overlooked.
723
00:32:32,708 --> 00:32:34,833
{\an1}He turns his attention
to a story
724
00:32:34,958 --> 00:32:37,750
{\an1}that unfolds in 1945
at Mittenwald, Germany,
725
00:32:37,875 --> 00:32:40,375
{\an1}right near the Austrian border.
726
00:32:40,542 --> 00:32:43,417
{\an1}LAURENCE:
There, on April 20th, 1945,
727
00:32:43,542 --> 00:32:47,625
{\an1}Nazi Colonel Franz Pfeiffer
and six officers
728
00:32:47,708 --> 00:32:50,458
{\an1}gather at a German
military base.
729
00:32:50,542 --> 00:32:53,542
{\an1}Coincidentally,
this is Hitler's birthday.
730
00:32:53,708 --> 00:32:55,417
{\an1}The Allies are closing in,
731
00:32:55,542 --> 00:32:58,333
{\an1}and Pfeiffer is given
one final mission--
732
00:32:58,417 --> 00:33:01,208
{\an1}to hide a stash of Nazi gold.
733
00:33:02,333 --> 00:33:05,167
{\an1}The Nazis consider this gold
their last best hope
734
00:33:05,292 --> 00:33:07,792
{\an1}for preserving
the future of the regime.
735
00:33:07,875 --> 00:33:10,833
{\an1}The aim is to hide it
until they can return to power
736
00:33:10,958 --> 00:33:12,667
{\an1}and a new Reich can be formed,
737
00:33:12,792 --> 00:33:14,958
{\an1}which will be funded
by the gold.
738
00:33:15,083 --> 00:33:17,625
{\an1}LAURENCE: Pfeiffer swears
his men to secrecy,
739
00:33:17,750 --> 00:33:22,000
{\an1}then orders 365 sacks of gold
740
00:33:22,125 --> 00:33:24,792
{\an1}loaded onto a convoy of trucks.
741
00:33:24,875 --> 00:33:27,792
{\an1}MARTIN: The order itself comes
from Reichsfuhrer-SS,
742
00:33:27,875 --> 00:33:29,458
{\an1}Heinrich Himmler.
743
00:33:29,542 --> 00:33:33,125
{\an1}Himmler orders several
truckloads of looted valuables
744
00:33:33,250 --> 00:33:36,833
{\an1}to be transported to the area
where Pfeiffer is in command.
745
00:33:36,958 --> 00:33:38,500
{\an1}The Nazi's first plan
is to hide it
746
00:33:38,625 --> 00:33:40,667
{\an1}in this bowling alley
that was abandoned.
747
00:33:40,792 --> 00:33:42,167
{\an1}So, they bring it all there,
748
00:33:42,250 --> 00:33:44,208
{\an1}and they deposit it
in the building.
749
00:33:44,375 --> 00:33:48,542
{\an1}Then, days later,
Allied forces are approaching.
750
00:33:48,667 --> 00:33:51,333
{\an1}They have to go back, take it
all out of the bowling alley
751
00:33:51,500 --> 00:33:53,375
{\an1}and find someplace else
to hide it.
752
00:33:54,458 --> 00:33:56,000
{\an1}It's clear they're gonna
have to move this stuff
753
00:33:56,167 --> 00:33:57,833
{\an1}much farther away.
754
00:33:57,917 --> 00:34:00,000
{\an1}So, they choose
a new destination--
755
00:34:00,083 --> 00:34:02,333
{\an1}a lodge up in the mountains
756
00:34:02,500 --> 00:34:04,417
{\an1}outside of a little town
called Einsiedl.
757
00:34:05,667 --> 00:34:07,875
{\an1}The lodge is owned
by a man named Hans Neuhauser,
758
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,458
{\an1}who lives there with his wife
and son.
759
00:34:10,542 --> 00:34:13,083
{\an1}And Hans basically has no choice
but to let the Nazis in
760
00:34:13,208 --> 00:34:15,667
{\an1}and do whatever they say.
761
00:34:15,792 --> 00:34:18,583
{\an1}LAURENCE: After unloading
the gold at Neuhauser's lodge,
762
00:34:18,708 --> 00:34:21,500
{\an1}the Nazis next use mules
763
00:34:21,625 --> 00:34:24,042
{\an1}to move it
further into the mountains.
764
00:34:24,167 --> 00:34:25,833
{\an1}In the span of just 24 hours,
765
00:34:25,917 --> 00:34:27,208
{\an1}the Nazis had dug pits,
766
00:34:27,333 --> 00:34:28,667
{\an1}and they deposited gold
767
00:34:28,792 --> 00:34:30,625
{\an1}into these, and then
covered them back up.
768
00:34:30,708 --> 00:34:33,292
{\an1}KEVIN: And it's none too soon,
because the Allies
769
00:34:33,375 --> 00:34:36,250
{\an1}arrive on scene
three days later.
770
00:34:36,375 --> 00:34:38,708
{\an1}LAURENCE: The freshly dug pits
are easily spotted
771
00:34:38,833 --> 00:34:41,083
{\an1}by the Allied soldiers.
772
00:34:41,208 --> 00:34:45,583
{\an1}In total, 12 tons
of gold bullion is unearthed,
773
00:34:45,708 --> 00:34:50,000
{\an1}valued at nearly three-quarters
of a billion dollars today.
774
00:34:50,125 --> 00:34:52,333
{\an1}So, they recover this gold.
775
00:34:52,500 --> 00:34:55,417
{\an1}It's another great true story
of buried Nazi treasure
776
00:34:55,542 --> 00:34:58,542
{\an1}that continues to inspire
treasure hunters today.
777
00:34:58,667 --> 00:35:01,500
{\an1}STEFAN: Most treasure hunters
use this story as evidence
778
00:35:01,583 --> 00:35:04,583
{\an1}that other undisclosed locations
of Nazi gold may exist.
779
00:35:04,708 --> 00:35:06,333
{\an1}But not Proske.
780
00:35:06,458 --> 00:35:09,250
{\an1}Proske decides to keep looking
into this story.
781
00:35:09,375 --> 00:35:11,667
{\an1}What if the Allies
never found all the treasure?
782
00:35:11,792 --> 00:35:14,167
{\an1}Is there any evidence to suggest
that some of this
783
00:35:14,250 --> 00:35:16,375
{\an1}did in fact get left behind?
784
00:35:16,500 --> 00:35:20,125
{\an1}LAURENCE: Sure enough,
Proske finds that evidence.
785
00:35:20,208 --> 00:35:23,625
{\an1}AMORY: In 2016, amongst
a collection of antiques,
786
00:35:23,750 --> 00:35:27,167
{\an1}Proske finds the diary
of a former Nazi officer,
787
00:35:27,333 --> 00:35:30,125
{\an1}and in it, this guy claims
to have taken
788
00:35:30,250 --> 00:35:32,250
{\an1}some of the Einsiedl gold
789
00:35:32,375 --> 00:35:34,542
{\an1}and put it in his own
secret hiding spot.
790
00:35:39,583 --> 00:35:42,958
{\an1}KEVIN: The diary says that
about $7 million of Nazi gold
791
00:35:43,042 --> 00:35:47,333
{\an1}was stolen by this officer
and hidden somewhere nearby.
792
00:35:47,458 --> 00:35:50,333
{\an1}Remember, this is gold
the Nazis stole
793
00:35:50,458 --> 00:35:52,792
{\an1}that this officer
then stole from them.
794
00:35:52,917 --> 00:35:56,000
{\an1}According to the diary,
the officer hid the gold
795
00:35:56,083 --> 00:35:58,167
{\an1}near the base of a steep hill.
796
00:35:58,292 --> 00:36:01,417
{\an1}On top of the hill
is a flat area with a hut.
797
00:36:01,542 --> 00:36:04,250
{\an1}To Proske, this is like
a pirate treasure map
798
00:36:04,375 --> 00:36:05,917
{\an1}that's gonna lead him
right to the gold.
799
00:36:07,375 --> 00:36:09,458
{\an1}LAURENCE:
There's just one problem.
800
00:36:10,583 --> 00:36:12,583
{\an1}STEFAN: The story in the diary
doesn't end after the war.
801
00:36:12,708 --> 00:36:14,000
{\an1}It continues.
802
00:36:14,125 --> 00:36:16,500
{\an1}Several years later,
the officer goes back
803
00:36:16,583 --> 00:36:18,458
{\an1}to this location
to dig up the gold.
804
00:36:18,583 --> 00:36:20,792
{\an1}When he returns,
he can't find it.
805
00:36:20,875 --> 00:36:22,583
{\an1}He lost it.
806
00:36:22,708 --> 00:36:24,875
{\an1}KEVIN: The ensuing years
have changed the landscape,
807
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:26,833
{\an1}so it looks very different
from when the officer
808
00:36:26,917 --> 00:36:28,583
{\an1}first buried it.
809
00:36:28,708 --> 00:36:31,208
{\an1}If that isn't karma,
I don't know what it is.
810
00:36:31,375 --> 00:36:33,375
{\an1}So, what does this say
to Proske?
811
00:36:33,542 --> 00:36:36,042
{\an1}It says maybe that gold
is still out there
812
00:36:36,208 --> 00:36:38,000
{\an1}waiting to be found.
813
00:36:38,125 --> 00:36:40,000
{\an1}LAURENCE: And Proske
has something
814
00:36:40,125 --> 00:36:43,833
{\an1}the officer didn't--
a metal detector.
815
00:36:43,958 --> 00:36:46,333
{\an1}STEFAN: So far,
Proske has made dozens of trips
816
00:36:46,500 --> 00:36:49,000
{\an1}to this area looking
for the Nazi gold.
817
00:36:49,125 --> 00:36:51,208
{\an1}And he's found
several promising leads.
818
00:36:51,333 --> 00:36:54,375
{\an1}He's found grenades,
a Nazi helmet, ammunition--
819
00:36:54,500 --> 00:36:57,500
{\an1}all things which indicate
activity in the area.
820
00:36:58,708 --> 00:37:00,250
{\an1}KEVIN: And this isn't a place
that had any active fighting
821
00:37:00,375 --> 00:37:01,750
{\an1}during the war.
822
00:37:01,875 --> 00:37:05,042
{\an1}These artifacts mean
that maybe one or more Nazis
823
00:37:05,167 --> 00:37:07,042
{\an1}were up to something
in this area.
824
00:37:07,167 --> 00:37:08,625
{\an1}Maybe hiding gold.
825
00:37:10,208 --> 00:37:12,375
{\an1}So far,
Proske hasn't found any gold.
826
00:37:12,542 --> 00:37:14,083
{\an1}But like any good
treasure hunter,
827
00:37:14,208 --> 00:37:15,333
{\an1}he's still at it.
828
00:37:20,417 --> 00:37:24,583
{\an1}In 2019, decades after the
end of world war 2
829
00:37:24,708 --> 00:37:30,000
{\an1}a new lead to the location
of lost Nazi treasure emerges.
830
00:37:30,083 --> 00:37:32,292
{\an1}A Masonic lodge in Quedlinburg
831
00:37:32,417 --> 00:37:34,500
{\an1}in Germany decides
that they want
832
00:37:34,667 --> 00:37:36,833
{\an1}to atone for their associations
833
00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,583
{\an1}with Adolf Hitler and the
National Socialist Third Reich.
834
00:37:39,708 --> 00:37:42,333
{\an1}They have hung onto a large
quantity of documents
835
00:37:42,458 --> 00:37:44,667
{\an1}relating to the Nazi
time period,
836
00:37:44,792 --> 00:37:48,083
{\an1}including a diary
that was maintained
837
00:37:48,208 --> 00:37:50,333
{\an1}by a former SS officer
838
00:37:50,458 --> 00:37:53,833
{\an1}who wrote under
the assumed name Michaelis.
839
00:37:53,958 --> 00:37:55,708
{\an1}AMORY: They decide to give
all this memorabilia
840
00:37:55,833 --> 00:37:57,708
{\an1}to the Silesian
Bridge Foundation,
841
00:37:57,875 --> 00:38:00,375
{\an1}a Polish-German
antidiscrimination cooperative,
842
00:38:00,542 --> 00:38:02,667
{\an1}as sort of an apologetic
gesture.
843
00:38:04,333 --> 00:38:06,000
{\an1}At first, the Silesian
Bridge Foundation
844
00:38:06,167 --> 00:38:07,417
{\an1}accepts all this stuff.
845
00:38:07,542 --> 00:38:09,500
{\an1}Just, "Thank you very much."
846
00:38:09,667 --> 00:38:12,958
{\an1}It's just a nice way to accept
and heal some of the wounds
847
00:38:13,083 --> 00:38:14,875
{\an1}from the past.
848
00:38:15,042 --> 00:38:17,500
{\an1}LAURENCE: But when they start
to read the diary,
849
00:38:17,625 --> 00:38:21,208
{\an1}they realize this gesture
could be worth much more.
850
00:38:21,375 --> 00:38:23,042
{\an1}AMORY: It immediately
becomes clear
851
00:38:23,167 --> 00:38:24,792
{\an1}why the author
used a pseudonym,
852
00:38:24,917 --> 00:38:27,667
{\an1}because the diary details
11 different locations
853
00:38:27,792 --> 00:38:31,625
{\an1}that Himmler himself picked out
to hide Nazi treasures.
854
00:38:31,750 --> 00:38:33,333
{\an1}MARTIN: Many of these locations
are thought
855
00:38:33,500 --> 00:38:37,583
{\an1}to include gold coins,
metals, jewelry--
856
00:38:37,708 --> 00:38:41,375
{\an1}items that were deposited
with Nazi police
857
00:38:41,500 --> 00:38:46,167
{\an1}for safekeeping
as Allied forces approached.
858
00:38:46,333 --> 00:38:48,292
{\an1}One of these locations
is described
859
00:38:48,375 --> 00:38:51,708
{\an1}as having 47 valuable pieces
of art from artists
860
00:38:51,875 --> 00:38:54,375
{\an1}to include Botticelli
and Rembrandt.
861
00:38:55,750 --> 00:38:57,500
{\an1}The Silesian Bridge
decides to go
862
00:38:57,625 --> 00:38:59,417
{\an1}and inspect some
of these locations,
863
00:38:59,542 --> 00:39:01,167
{\an1}and they choose
as their starting point
864
00:39:01,292 --> 00:39:03,458
{\an1}the biggest horde of them all,
865
00:39:03,542 --> 00:39:06,333
{\an1}and it's a location
that is supposedly warehousing
866
00:39:06,458 --> 00:39:09,708
{\an1}28 tons of Nazi gold.
867
00:39:09,833 --> 00:39:12,500
{\an1}It's hidden in an abandoned
castle
868
00:39:12,583 --> 00:39:14,625
{\an1}called Hochberg Palace.
869
00:39:18,708 --> 00:39:21,125
{\an1}LAURENCE: The foundation
puts together a search team
870
00:39:21,208 --> 00:39:24,500
{\an1}led by their president,
Roman Furmaniak.
871
00:39:24,583 --> 00:39:26,333
{\an1}AMORY: The location
actually makes sense,
872
00:39:26,458 --> 00:39:28,833
{\an1}because Hochberg Palace
has a special reputation
873
00:39:28,917 --> 00:39:32,125
{\an1}as a Nazi hangout
during World War II.
874
00:39:32,250 --> 00:39:34,333
{\an1}MARTIN: During the Second
World War, the German military
875
00:39:34,458 --> 00:39:36,458
{\an1}maintained a network
of bordellos--
876
00:39:36,583 --> 00:39:40,250
{\an1}some for the common soldiers,
some for the officers.
877
00:39:40,375 --> 00:39:42,833
{\an1}And during World War II,
Hochberg Palace
878
00:39:42,958 --> 00:39:46,375
{\an1}was what they called
an offizieres bordelle,
879
00:39:46,500 --> 00:39:48,667
{\an1}meaning an officers' bordello.
880
00:39:48,833 --> 00:39:51,167
{\an1}It's not all that far-fetched
to assume
881
00:39:51,292 --> 00:39:53,833
{\an1}that there might have been
some hidden treasure here.
882
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:55,625
{\an1}KEVIN: People are constantly
coming in and out
883
00:39:55,750 --> 00:39:58,667
{\an1}of this location,
so Furmaniak actually obtains
884
00:39:58,792 --> 00:40:02,125
{\an1}eyewitness accounts of people
who said they saw treasure
885
00:40:02,208 --> 00:40:04,250
{\an1}being stored in the palace.
886
00:40:04,375 --> 00:40:06,292
{\an1}Unfortunately, since the war,
887
00:40:06,417 --> 00:40:08,375
{\an1}this site has severely
deteriorated,
888
00:40:08,542 --> 00:40:11,542
{\an1}making it dangerous to explore.
889
00:40:12,750 --> 00:40:15,708
{\an1}LAURENCE: The team starts
carefully searching the area.
890
00:40:15,875 --> 00:40:17,417
{\an1}STEFAN: They use
ground-penetrating radar
891
00:40:17,542 --> 00:40:19,208
{\an1}to sweep the area
for safety purposes,
892
00:40:19,333 --> 00:40:20,542
{\an1}and in the process,
893
00:40:20,708 --> 00:40:21,875
{\an1}may have actually revealed
894
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,042
{\an1}the hiding spot.
895
00:40:23,167 --> 00:40:25,333
{\an1}KEVIN: The diary says the gold,
896
00:40:25,500 --> 00:40:29,000
{\an1}48 crates of it,
are buried 200 feet down
897
00:40:29,125 --> 00:40:30,708
{\an1}at the bottom of a well.
898
00:40:30,833 --> 00:40:33,625
{\an1}This well would have been
encased in metal.
899
00:40:33,750 --> 00:40:36,250
{\an1}And in their initial scan,
the team discovers
900
00:40:36,375 --> 00:40:38,875
{\an1}what appears to be
a large metal casing.
901
00:40:40,542 --> 00:40:42,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: Encouraged
by this promising find,
902
00:40:42,792 --> 00:40:45,667
{\an1}the foundation hopes
to begin digging soon.
903
00:40:45,833 --> 00:40:47,625
{\an1}It takes time to coordinate
904
00:40:47,750 --> 00:40:49,333
{\an1}these big search efforts
like this.
905
00:40:49,417 --> 00:40:50,542
{\an1}You have to work
with the government,
906
00:40:50,667 --> 00:40:52,417
{\an1}you have to work with
local authorities.
907
00:40:52,542 --> 00:40:54,792
{\an1}There's always the danger
of unexploded ordnance,
908
00:40:54,875 --> 00:40:56,750
{\an1}so you have to coordinate
with the military as well.
909
00:40:56,875 --> 00:40:59,958
{\an1}They're only just now
beginning this excavation
910
00:41:00,083 --> 00:41:03,500
{\an1}at Hochberg Palace,
and who knows what they'll find.
911
00:41:03,625 --> 00:41:07,208
{\an1}Can you imagine $1.7 billion
worth of Nazi gold
912
00:41:07,333 --> 00:41:08,708
{\an1}being returned
to its victims?
913
00:41:08,833 --> 00:41:11,958
{\an1}I hope it happens.
The world is watching.
914
00:41:14,583 --> 00:41:16,167
{\an1}In addition to their research
915
00:41:16,333 --> 00:41:17,583
{\an1}at Hochberg Palace,
916
00:41:17,708 --> 00:41:19,417
{\an1}the Silesian Bridge Foundation
917
00:41:19,542 --> 00:41:21,000
{\an1}hopes to explore the other
918
00:41:21,167 --> 00:41:22,375
{\an1}10 sites in the diary
919
00:41:22,542 --> 00:41:24,250
{\an1}one by one.
920
00:41:24,375 --> 00:41:26,292
{\an1}Each brings a fresh chance
921
00:41:26,417 --> 00:41:28,625
{\an1}to fully recover
the missing treasure.
922
00:41:28,708 --> 00:41:31,667
{\an1}And perhaps, one day,
more will be found.
923
00:41:31,750 --> 00:41:33,333
{\an1}I'm Laurence Fishburne.
924
00:41:33,458 --> 00:41:35,083
{\an1}Thank you for watching
925
00:41:35,208 --> 00:41:37,667
{\an1}"History's Greatest Mysteries."
100872
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.