Argentina's Supreme Court uncovers hidden Nazi archives

In recent days, the Argentine Supreme Court rediscovered dozens of boxes containing materials associated with the Nazi regime, which had been confiscated during World War II. The archives were found in the basement of the Supreme Court while court staff were preparing to establish a museum of historical documents. These boxes were initially sent from the German embassy in Tokyo to Buenos Aires on June 20, 1941, aboard the Japanese steamship 'Nan-a-Maru,' under the pretext that they contained personal belongings. However, Argentine customs authorities suspected otherwise and conducted random inspections, revealing postcards, photographs, propaganda materials, and thousands of Nazi party notebooks. At the time these materials were intercepted, Argentina was officially neutral in World War II, and the authorities were concerned about the impact of the packages on the country’s neutrality. Though the German diplomatic mission claimed the items were harmless, authorities believed their contents could influence local sentiments towards the Axis powers. Consequently, a federal judge had confiscated the materials, transferring the case to the Supreme Court. Eighty-four years later, during the review process for preparing the documents for a museum exhibition, court officials opened the boxes and discovered materials intended to propagate Adolf Hitler's ideology in Argentina during the war. The Court President, Horacio Rosatti, ordered the preservation and examination of these artifacts, recognizing their historical significance. Immediate steps have been taken to ensure the appropriate storage of the boxes with added security. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has engaged the Holocaust Museum in Buenos Aires to assist with the preservation and inventory of these materials. Experts are now set to investigate these items for insights regarding previously unknown aspects of the Holocaust, including the international financing networks used by the Nazi regime. This discovery has important implications, shedding light on how Nazi ideology may have attempted to infiltrate South American societies during a tumultuous period, and highlighting Argentina's complex post-war relationship with its large Jewish population, which sought refuge in the country amidst growing European hostilities.