A significant discovery was made in Argentina, where a collection of forgotten Nazi documents was unearthed in the basement of the country’s Supreme Court. This find occurred while judicial officials were in the process of relocating archives to a new museum, leading to the accidental discovery of boxes filled with German government records from World War II.
The Supreme Court revealed that the boxes contain various documents aimed at promoting Adolf Hitler’s ideology in Argentina during the war. The president of the Supreme Court, Horacio Rosatti, has ordered that the contents be cataloged and assessed. The court’s findings indicate that 83 packages were sent from the German embassy in Tokyo, arriving in Argentina in 1941 aboard the Japanese vessel Nan-a-Maru. Initially, the German diplomatic mission claimed these packages contained personal belongings of embassy staff. However, Argentine customs officials had expressed concerns about the potential implications of allowing these unchecked items into the country, as it could compromise Argentina’s neutral stance in the conflict.
Upon opening several packages, customs agents discovered Nazi propaganda, postcards, photographs, and an extensive collection of notebooks from the National Socialist German Workers’ Party Organization Abroad and the German Trade Union. Following this, a federal judge ordered the seizure of the cargo and referred the case to the Supreme Court.
In a recent announcement, the court did not clarify why this trove of documents remained unopened for so many years. On Friday, Rosatti attended the official opening of the boxes, accompanied by representatives from the Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum. Officials plan to place the contents under police supervision while they are scanned, digitized, and examined further to uncover information related to the Holocaust and examine the broader implications of Nazi operations, including the “global Nazi money trail.”
This discovery not only sheds light on a previously hidden chapter of history but also emphasizes the importance of uncovering and understanding the past, allowing for a deeper reflection on the impact of Nazi ideology. As the materials are analyzed, they hold the potential to enhance historical knowledge and contribute to ongoing discussions about the Holocaust and its ramifications.