Background on the Discovery
Argentine authorities have uncovered hundreds of Nazi documents and membership records in boxes found within the archives of Argentina’s Supreme Court, as reported by Clarín newspaper.
Seven boxes were opened on Friday, 9th, and their contents are being safeguarded for classification, documentation, and preservation by order of the Supreme Court to investigate if they provide relevant information regarding events connected to the Holocaust or the escape of Nazis to Argentina.
Contents of the Documents
Initial inspection revealed elements of Nazi propaganda, photographs, and hundreds of membership books for the German Union of Guilds, featuring the swastika surrounded by a gear, as shown in published images.
Some documents are severely deteriorated, while others remain well-preserved.
Location and History of the Documents
The boxes were found in the underground section of Buenos Aires’ Palacio de Tribunales, where non-digitalized documentation from old cases is stored. The Supreme Court has not released any official information regarding this discovery.
The tasks of inventory and preservation involve the Holocaust Museum, whose representatives were present during the opening of the boxes on the last Friday alongside Supreme Court President Horacio Rosatti.
The documents belong to a case initiated in 1941 when Argentine Customs detained a shipment sent to the German embassy in Buenos Aires from Tokyo’s German legation.
The then Special Investigative Commission of the Congress on Anti-Argentine Activities requested judicial intervention to determine if the boxes contained elements that could compromise Argentina’s policy of neutrality during World War II.
As a result, the boxes were opened and remained under judicial custody for decades.
Historical Context of Nazi Escapees in Argentina
Following World War II, notorious Nazi criminals like Josef Mengele and Adolf Eichmann sought refuge in Argentina, along with hundreds of German collaborators.
On April 1, 2021, Argentina sent classified files to the United States to collaborate with investigations by the Simon Wiesenthal Center regarding the Holocaust.
It is estimated that thousands of Nazis found refuge or passed through Argentina after the war.
- Prominent Cases:
- Eichmann, captured in Buenos Aires in 1960 and tried/executed in Israel.
- Mengele, a physician known for his prisoner experiments who hid in Argentina before fleeing to Paraguay and Brazil, where he died.
- Erich Priebke, responsible for the Ardeatine Caves massacre in 1944 during Germany’s occupation of Italy.
Priebke was arrested in Argentina and extradited to Italy in 1995, where he died in prison in 2013 while serving a life sentence.
Key Questions and Answers
- What were the documents found in? Seven boxes within Argentina’s Supreme Court archives.
- What is the purpose of examining these documents? To determine if they provide relevant information about events related to the Holocaust or Nazi escapees in Argentina.
- What types of materials were discovered? Nazi propaganda, photographs, and membership books for the German Union of Guilds.
- Who is involved in preserving and examining the documents? The Holocaust Museum and Argentina’s Supreme Court are collaborating on this task.
- Why were the boxes opened after decades? Due to a request from the Special Investigative Commission of the Congress on Anti-Argentine Activities during World War II.
