Science

Scientists Say No Buried Nazi Train in Poland

Yet the two men who first claimed they located the train, possibly filled with treasure, still disagree.

by Ian Stark
AGH University of Science and Technology

The hope that a fabled lost train loaded with Nazi gold was located after being buried in southwestern Poland during World War II was damaged Tuesday after experts from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow declared they couldn’t find any evidence of its existence.

The announcement was made at a press conference in Walbrzych, Poland, a town that has long held the belief that an armored Nazi transport was possibly concealed within an embankment near the town—and the two individuals that recently declared they had evidence that the tale isn’t mere folklore remain steadfast in their belief that the train is indeed there.

AGH University Professor Janusz Madej made the announcement in Walbrzych at a press conference also featuring German geologist Andreas Richter and Polish construction-company owner (and Walbrzych resident) Piotr Koper—the two men who first claimed back in September that the train was found.

“There may be a tunnel,” said Madej at the press conference, referring to the site in question, “but there is no train.”

AGH scientists came to this conclusion after using thermal imaging cameras, magnetic field detectors, and radar to scan the spot where Richter and Piotr claim they had found a train tunnel sealed by rocks destroyed by explosives.

Koper and Richter also spoke at the press conference, stating their own experts had examined the site with ground-penetrating sensors and determined there are clear signs of a railway tunnel, with tracks and shapes that they feel represent the train.

“We carried out similar examinations in many other locations, but we have never encountered anything like this,” Koper said. “There is no way these shapes are of natural origin.”

Mr. Madej responded, “It’s human to make a mistake, but it’s foolish to stand by it.”

The area was part of Germany during World War II, but became Polish land when the nation’s borders were redrawn following the war’s end. No documented evidence of the train being buried near Walbruzych exists — but a tunnel network was dug in the area by prisoners of war—and much of the area was zoned military property by the Communist government that controlled Poland until the 1990s, closed to public scrutiny and investigation. Amateur explorers have since found several abandoned tunnels within range of where Koper and Richter claim the armored train is hidden.

Koper took to his Facebook page later in the day and posted:

(Translated from Polish text): “In the light of today’s presentation of results by AGH we are forced to post a comment for the situation…Research conducted by the AGH did not confirm the existence of the train, but confirmed the existence [of a tunnel]”, so we ask what purpose was the [destroyed] entrance to the tunnel if it is empty???”

Any possible digging in order to continue the search cannot begin until spring, due to the likelihood of snow during the winter months.