Archaeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people at the ruins of a huge World War II German military facility in Poland.
The skeletons were discovered at the facility, known as the Wolf’s Lair, in Gierloz, north-east Poland, after archaeologists first uncovered a fragment of a human skull in late February this year.
The group notified the local authorities, who gave the go-ahead for further excavations.
The remains, all missing hands and feet, were found to belong to three adults, a teenager and a newborn baby, according to the Latebra Foundation, a historical organization in the city of Gdansk.
– It was the most terrible thing we found, said one of the archaeologists about the newborn, according to The Guardian.
The five bodies were placed close to each other, facing the same direction, outside a house that was the residence of one of Hitler’s closest associates, Hermann Göring.
Göring was one of the most powerful Nazi leaders in World War II and a close friend of Adolf Hitler. He was field marshal and Reich Marshal and commander of the Luftwaffe, the German air force.
Next to the skeletons were burnt slabs and remains of sewage infrastructure, but there were no traces of clothing, according to the organisation.
Photo: Latebra Foundation
Photo: Latebra Foundation
Photo: Latebra Foundation
At first the team thought they were digging up an old bath when they found pipes underground. But they eventually found ashes and a burnt key, before they found the skull fragment.
Police forensics are investigating the remains, and many questions remain unanswered.
– There are many theories as to why they don’t have hands and feet. Right now it is very difficult to say, says Adrian Kostrzewa, Latebra Foundation to CNN.
An important next step is to determine the age of the skeletal remains using carbon dating.
The discovery was first reported by Der Spiegel, and there are several mysteries associated with it, in addition to the identity of the victims. Why are they here? When did it happen and did Göring know if the people were buried there while he lived in the house?
Assassination of Hitler
The Wolfsschanze was the Nazis’ enormous (6.5 square kilometers) headquarters for the Eastern Front. It is built miles from the settlement in the forests of northeastern Poland.
The massive brick building has been largely reclaimed by nature. It was considered thoroughly investigated before this excavation team made this discovery, according to The Guardian.
The base was one of the largest in all of Europe during the war and attracts more than 200,000 visitors a year.
– The unique thing about this find is that the bodies were found in the premises of the most guarded complex in the Third Reich, write the archaeologists.
Hitler is said to have spent almost three years there. and the fortress was also the site of Operation Valkyrie, an assassination attempt against Hitler in July 1944.
Large parts of the Wolfsschanze were destroyed in January 1945 to prevent it from falling into the hands of the advancing Soviet army, according to Adrian Kostrzewa.
