Digging the Land Following the Nazi 'Treasure Map' Buried with 24 Billion Won

Map Revealed After 75 Years... Excavated but Fruitless
"Outsiders Flock In, Making the Neighborhood Noisy," Residents Complain

For the first time in 75 years, a treasure map from Nazi Germany was revealed, leading archaeologists and historians to gather in a village in the Netherlands to search for the treasure, but ultimately they failed.

On the 1st (local time), foreign media including The New York Times reported that despite efforts to find the treasure based on the 'treasure hunt' map said to have been hidden by the Nazis in the past, they failed once again.

Treasure map of the Nazis revealed for the first time in 75 years earlier this year.
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

Earlier this year, the Dutch National Archives released a map indicating the location of treasure buried by Nazi soldiers in 1944. The location marked on the map is near the village of Ommeren in the Gelderland region of central Netherlands.

The treasure consists of coins, watches, jewelry, and diamonds looted by Nazi soldiers from a bank vault that exploded during the war. It is estimated to be worth 15.85 million pounds (approximately 24.155 billion Korean won) in today's value. The treasure is said to have been buried in four ammunition boxes while retreating.

Upon learning this, the Beheersinstituut, a Dutch institution managing the assets of missing and deceased persons from World War II, searched for the treasure boxes three times between 1946 and 1947 but failed to find them.

Archaeologists and historians gathered in a village in the Netherlands to search for treasure but ultimately failed.
Photo by AFP Yonhap News

This Nazi treasure, buried as a legend in history, attracted public attention when the treasure map was revealed in January. When the map was made public, not only local villagers but also outsiders who heard the news participated in the treasure hunt using metal detectors, shovels, and copies of the map, but they failed.

Meanwhile, on the 1st, city authorities mobilized archaeologists, historians, and even excavators for a large-scale excavation. However, no treasure was found; only bullets, scrap metal, wheels, and boots used during the war were discovered.

A representative of Buren City, which has jurisdiction over Ommeren, said, "Since the treasure map was revealed, many people have come here and dug up the land without permission, causing great inconvenience to the residents," adding, "We have done everything possible to find the treasure and hope that such incidents will not happen again."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.