We are currently on the trail of history: excavations are taking place in the former concentration camp of Buchenwald. But not just any! There are historical indications that undiscovered bunkers are located on the grounds of the Buchenwald memorial site. Did the Nazis possibly hide secret valuables here just before the end of the war? Our documentation for Abenteuer Archäologie on ARTE gets to the bottom of this question and accompanies the complex searches on the way to the bunkers.

The excavations begin

When the excavator starts digging on 1st October, scientists and experts are present alongside the camera team. Shortly before the end of the Second World War, the Ettersberg bunkers were bursted into the mountain, which were used by the National Socialists to hide tons of loot. Two of these tunnels were opened by the US Army in 1945. At the beginning of the 1990s a sketch was published, which gives indications for the existence of further bunkers. With this sketch also the research of the author Dr. Peter-Hugo Scholz began in the 90s. It was a long way until the excavations, which are currently taking place in Buchenwald, but now clarity is to be finally created. We are not the only ones curious about what lies behind the rock layers. If cavities were actually found and possibly even valuable objects, this would be an important find for historians and scientists.

Mourning for author Peter-Hugo Scholz

Our friend and colleague Dr. Peter-Hugo Scholz passed away on September 23 at the age of 65 before filming at Buchenwald began. We continue to work on this project in his memory. The project would not have been possible without his persistent and yielding research and journalistic expertise. We regret that he can no longer be involved in solving the mystery that he was devoted to for more than 20 years. If you can't wait for our documentary to be broadcast in spring 2020, you should definitely take a look at the Podcast by Peter-Hugo Scholz for MDR Kultur . We will publish further news regarding "The Secret Depots of Buchenwald" via our News Section or at Facebook.