Nazi Gold

Összefoglaló

Novels using World War II and the Nazi regime in Germany as a background fill the shelves and continue to pour off the presses in seemingly endless numbers. Moreover, many such works involve the acquisition of the treasure, monetary and otherwise, collected by the German armies and their Nazi overlords. This massive work attempts to cut through the myths and falsehoods to determine the truth regarding the apparent theft by various individuals of more than $2.5 billion in gold, currency, stocks, and jewels from the State Bank of the Third Reich.

The authors demonstrate that the robbery not only took place, but that it was the work of many people acting independently and evading, for the most part, prosecution for their actions. This is also an account of the massive corruption which existed within the American military government in Germany after the war and the largely successful endeavor of the United States Army to cover up that corruption. Archival material was destroyed, in some cases in an obvious attempt to hinder investigation of the thefts; other records are difficult to locate, and in some instances libel laws prevent their release or publication.

Nevertheless, NAZI GOLD represents an exhaustive attempt to follow the course of the Reichsbank reserves from Berlin to Mittenwald in southern Bavaria and beyond. Along the way, the reader is introduced to what appears to be a cast of thousands, as honest men and villains of various nationalities contend for possession of the valuable Nazi hoard.