Treasure contained in a long-lost Nazi ghost train could be claimed by Russia. A Russian lawyer has said that the Kremlin could lay claim to the valuables as compensation for the country’s losses in the Second World War.
The so-called ‘Nazi gold train’ has been reportedly found in Poland. Rumours had swirled around the town of Walbrzych for years that a train filled with gold had been abandoned during the Nazi era and was lying undiscovered nearby.
An apparent death-bed confession finally lead to its supposed location being pin-pointed. Government officials say that they are now “more than 99 per cent certain the train exists.”
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The train is thought to contain the ‘Amber room’ - an ornate chamber made of amber pearls thought to be worth £250m. It was stolen by German troops from a palace near St Petersburg during the war.
Speaking to Sputnik, lawyer Mikhail Joffe said: “Representatives of Russia should undoubtedly be involved in determining the value of the items discovered if the train is located.
“In this case, Poland is obliged to engage international experts to clarify what is in the cargo. If the property has been taken away from territory, including the USSR, then the cargo, in accordance with international law, must be passed to the Russian side.”
However, Polish officials disagree. Vice Minister for Conservation, Piotr Zuchowski, told local media: “The analysis we have conducted with our lawyers quite clearly states that if the train is found it will be owned by the State Treasury.”
