Jan Delingowski, a former radio officer and history enthusiast, received permission from the Pomorski Wojewódzki Konserwator Zabytków to begin excavations in the Kashubian region of Poland. Delingowski's decade-long quest was fueled by his belief that a lost German deposit from World War II, containing valuables, works of art, and the elusive Amber Room, might be hidden in a camouflaged bunker on a former SS training ground.
The lead to this potential discovery pointed to a concealed bunker "on a hill near the lake, on the site of the former SS barracks," as reported by Wprost. The area is situated on a hill within the former "West Prussia" training ground, a site where technical crews for V2 rockets were trained during the war.
Delingowski gleaned pivotal information from the testimony of a former Barczewo prison inmate. The witness claimed that in the 1980s, he met Erich Koch, a war criminal who served as the last Reichsstatthalter of East Prussia. Koch was said to have divulged details about valuables and artwork from Königsberg that were transported westward by truck convoys, only to vanish before reaching Berlin.
Records from the Institute of National Remembrance indicated that both the PRL Security Service and the KGB hoped Erich Koch would disclose the location of the Amber Room and other prized assets. Koch, sentenced to death in 1959 for his role in the extermination of approximately 400,000 Poles, never faced execution due to his low body weight.
Originally crafted in the early 18th century in Prussia under Frederick I's orders, the Amber Room was a gift to Tsar Peter the Great in 1716, symbolizing friendships between Prussia and Russia. Renowned for its opulence, the room featured walls adorned in amber, gold, and mirrors. It stood in the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg until looted during World War II by German troops, who transported it to Königsberg. Post-war, its whereabouts became one of history's great mysteries.
Delingowski's investigative efforts were noteworthy for their attention to detail, including comparing the former inmate's account with telegrams previously directed to SS Obersturmbannführer Gustav Wyst near the war's end. Through correspondence covered by Der Spiegel, it was revealed that Wyst received orders to hide the treasure in a site coded as "BSCH," camouflaging the entrance. German journalists and treasure hunters long deliberated the meaning of "BSCH," and Delingowski speculated it stood for "Bruß Schutzraum," hinting at its location in Brusy.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.