Argentina was once a shelter for Nazis during World War II.
Hundreds of Adolf Hitler supporters from all corners of Europe flooded the South American country in search of a brand new home – preferably far-off from the Nuremberg Trials.
Almost 80 years since Germany surrendered, the Argentinian government has declassified a trove of documents detailing Nazi activities.
A cache of greater than 1,850 documents released Monday by Argentina’s General Archives reveals the arrival and activities of distinguished Nazi war criminals.
‘Documentation on Nazi presence in Argentina’ details the investigations by authorities and the nation’s top intelligence agency between the Fifties and Eighties.
Argentina’s Ministry of Interior announced on X: ‘The National Archives released declassified documents on Nazi activities in Argentina and secret presidential decrees.
‘Due to extensive restoration and digitization work, you’ll be able to now access greater than 1,850 reports and nearly 1,300 classified decrees.’
One batch details the 1960 capture of a German man who went under the name of Walter Flegel.
He was long suspected of being Martin Bormanna, a robust party leader in Nazi Germany, one among Hitler’s closest lieutenants and executor.
He had disappeared without trace within the closing days of the war and was widely suspected to have been hiding in South America.
His arrest sparked international interest, but Flegel was ultimately released after authorities confirmed his true identity.
One other document details the capture of Joseph Schwammberger, a Nazi war criminal who ran three labour camps before fleeing to Argentina after the top of World War II.
He lived there openly, using his own name, and later became an Argentine citizen.
Under the pressure of Nazi-hunters, German authorities sought his arrest in Argentina.
He dropped out of sight but was eventually arrested in 1987 and convicted in 1992 of seven counts of murder and 32 counts of accessory to murder. Schwammberger was sentenced to life in prison.
Since Monday, everyone can access the documents published on the Argentinian government’s website.
Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Why radio continues to be the last word survival tool in blackouts and emergencies
MORE: NHS employee ‘had Nazi flag and film of Hitler within the background of video call’
MORE: Neo-Nazis rejoice Hitler’s birthday with swastika cake at a pub
