After being closely guarded for 78 years, the released map is expected to set off a widespread archaeological hunt.
Author’s Note
This article is based on accredited media reports. Linked information within this article is attributed to the following outlets: The National Archives, JewishVirtualLibrary.org, The-Sun.com, and NLTimes.nl.
Introduction
Per JewishVirtualLibrary.org’s piece on the recovery of Nazi-looted art, titled “Holocaust Restitution: Returning Stolen Art,” the international program is active and ongoing: The recovery of stolen art took a more international scale in 1998. On June 30, thirty-nine countries signed a joint pledge to identify art stolen from Holocaust victims and to compensate their heirs. Nearly every European country - in addition to the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Israel - signed the agreement. Soon after, an Austrian advisory panel recommended the return of 6,292 art objects to their legal owners, most of whom were Jews.
The site details a history of Nazi looting, and this week has come word of a new public release that may enable further such finds.
Let us explore further.
Nazi Treasure Hunt, 2023
According to a January 4th report from The-Sun.com, “Hunt Is On: Nazi Treasure Map ‘Revealing Location to Looted WW2 Jewel Haul’ Is RELEASED To The Public After 78 Years,” the map was released yesterday.
As excerpted from the report: A Nazi treasure map which could reveal the secret location of a World War Two jewel haul has been released to the public after 78 years. The map is rumoured to lead to buried Nazi loot worth millions of pounds stolen from a bank by Hitler's soldiers. The document is among hundreds of secret papers being made available to the public for the first time. The papers have been released in the Netherlands - with "clues to a never-found treasure." It's believed watches, diamonds, and other valuable items of jewelry were stolen after Hitler's men raided a bank in the city of Arnhem.
Netherlands media outlet NLTimes.nl elaborates on the story, in its piece entitled Nazi Treasure Map Among Many Documents to be Made Public by National Archives Today.
From the NLTimes.ni piece: The National Archives of the Netherlands will again start the new year by publishing a large collection of documents that were previously not allowed to be viewed by the public, or were only available under strict conditions. This year, the Archives’ Open Access Day will include the publication of about 1,300 pages of documents, ranging from documents about the World War II, abuse in internment camps, and minutes from Cabinet minister meetings. A literal treasure map containing “clues to a never-found Nazi treasure that is said to be buried near Ommeren” will also be made public.
NLTimes.ni further states previous efforts were made in vain to find the loot in the Gelderland village, but it was never recovered.
Conclusion
As archaeologists are widely expected to initiate hunts for the alleged treasure based on the released map, I will share pertinent updates on this matter here on NewsBreak.
Thank you for reading.
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