appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

An Argentine archaeologist who discovered what he thinks was a hideout built for German Nazis to flee to after the second world war said more dark secrets may be buried there.
Daniel Schavelzon's discoveries grabbed headlines and revived uncomfortable memories for Argentina, a notorious refuge for Nazi war criminals, when made they were made public at the weekend.
He has suggested the mysterious ruins deep in the jungle were planned as a hideout for Nazis fleeing Europe.
Excavating at the three stone buildings, his team found a swastika etched in the ruins, German coins stamped with the Nazi symbol and a fragment of porcelain plate bearing the inscription 'Made in Germany'.
But research at the site has only just begun, said Schavelzon, head of the urban archaeology centre at the University of Buenos Aires.
"We brought out lots of material to study and there's more to excavate," he said.
"Analysing the material could take many months. It's even possible there are other buildings we still haven't found. It's a complicated area to work in, with lots of vegetation, impenetrable."
He said he needed to find more funding to continue researching the ruins.
Schavelzon spent two weeks excavating at the site, which is located in the Teyu Cuare provincial park in northern Argentina, near the border with Paraguay.
He suspects it was part of a project to build shelters for top Nazi leaders in rugged, inaccessible locations with easy escape routes.
"These buildings date from the mid-20th century," he said. "At that time, nobody could reach this spot. It was all jungle. That shows the secrecy of the place.
"In five minutes you can get to another country. You cross the river and you're in Paraguay. It's a strategic, very well thought-out site."
The nearest town, San Ignacio, some 60km away, did not exist then, he said.
The buildings were made from large stones typical in the area, with high foundations, he said. One, situated higher than the others, appears to have been a lookout post. Ultimately, however, Nazi leaders did not need a remote Argentine hideout.
"They didn't need to go into hiding deep in the jungle since they ended up living in Argentina with impunity and protection," Schavelson said. "They had passports and even used their real names."
Thousands of Nazis, Italian fascists and Croatian Ustasha fled to Argentina with the blessing of late president Juan Peron, according to the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Centre.
In 1960, Adolf Eichmann, one of the masterminds of the Holocaust, was captured in Buenos Aires by an Israeli commando team and tried in Israel, where he was executed.
Other Nazis who sought refuge in Argentina include Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz death camp doctor who performed atrocious experiments on prisoners; Josef Schwammberger, a concentration camp commander; and Erich Priebke, an SS officer convicted of massacring civilians whose death in Rome in 2013 sparked an international dispute.
Argentina's population includes some three million people of German descent.
One of the largest and oldest German communities is that of the northern province of Misiones, founded by a large influx of German immigrants who arrived in the early 20th century.
Argentina also has the largest Jewish community in Latin America, at about 300,000.
Additional reporting by The Guardian


Archaeologist believes ruins in Argentinian jungle was hideoutfor fleeing Nazi war criminals

Archaeologists have discovered ruins near San Ignacio, in northeastern Argentina, that they speculate may have been a hideout for Nazis fleeing Europe after the second world war. Photo: AP

Archaeologists have discovered ruins near San Ignacio, in northeastern Argentina, that they speculate may have been a hideout for Nazis fleeing Europe after the second world war, like Erich Priebke (bottom right).Photos: Agencies

An archeologist works on the site of a possible Nazi safe haven near San Ignacio,  Misiones. Photo: Reuters

Former Nazi SS Captain Erich Priebke is escorted by Argentine police towards a plane waiting to take him to Rome to face trial for World War Two war crimes on November 20, 1995. Photo: Reuters

News

World

Archaeologist claims buildings discovered in Argentina were refuge for Nazi war criminals fleeing prosecution after second world war


An Argentine archaeologist who discovered what he thinks was a hideout built for German Nazis to flee to after the second world war said more dark secrets may be buried there.


Archaeologist believes ruins in Argentinian jungle was hideoutfor fleeing Nazi war criminals

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Archaeologist claims buildings discovered in Argentina were refuge for Nazi war criminals fleeing prosecution after second world war

Archaeologist claims buildings discovered in Argentina were refuge for Nazi war criminals fleeing prosecution after second world war