Feature: "Gold train" mystery causes rush in Poland

Poland has been roused by the news about the discovery of the mystical "gold train," suspected to be filled with valuables taken by the Nazi German leaving Wroclaw. As a result, "gold rush" broke throughout the whole country, leading to unexpected results and new discoveries.

In early September, a Xinhua journalist paid a visit to Walbrzych, a town in south-western Poland. Together with Wroclaw and the whole area of Lower Silesia voivodeship, it was one of the crucial regions for the Germans during WWII.

A notification of the discovery of the "gold train" was sent to the appropriate authorities of Walbrzych in the middle of August. Two men (a Pole and a German) claimed they had found a place where "armored train from the WWII period" was hidden.

Arkadiusz Grudzien, the spokesman of Walbrzych City Hall, told Xinhua about the finding: "The notification was placed via a law office representing the founders... Nowadays, the area is being cleaned, however we cannot say for sure when and what type of research will be held afterwards. We want to underline, the finding was described as 'armored train from the WWII period,' not as 'gold train'."

While no one said exactly it was "gold train" which was found, the news was enough to cause a gold rush within the country. Even Poland's deputy minister of culture Piotr Zuchowski said that "he was more than 99% certain the train existed," who has seen the core evidence, picture taken by ground-penetrating radar.

The picture, however, has not been released to the public. As a result, the gossip and possible information about the train continued to develop. The train was supposed to contain "valuables, precious industrial materials and ores." It was supposed to be located around the 65th kilometer of railway connecting Walbrzych and Wroclaw.

What is the truth about the "gold train?" The fact is that Nazi Germans leaving Wroclaw sent three armored trains to the west, each of them carrying precious cargo. The one sent first was caught by the Allies in Austria. It contained valuables and pieces of art. By the end of 1944 the governor of Wroclaw commanded the citizens to place their valuables in one place, of which they were loaded on the train. It might be the mysterious "gold train," however, the other two of German trains were also lost on their way.

While search for the truth is still in the middle of doing, another discovery was reported. Walbrzych authorities have been notified about the finding of three objects connected with the "Riese" project.

It was a code name for a construction project held by the Nazis in years 1943-45. Consisting of seven underground structures, located in the Owl Mountains and Ksiaz Castle in Lower Silesia, the massive project's purpose is still unsure. It might have been a network of underground factories, or a part of Hitler's Headquarters.

The recent finding contains two railway tunnels, nearby the small town of Walim. The most shallow place is around 20 meters below the surface. It is a part of "Wlodarz" complex and might contain technical devices, armament and infrastructure typical for shelters. Further research is to be conducted. Endit