Argentina’s Supreme Court announced on May 11, 2025, the discovery of 83 boxes containing Nazi propaganda and materials in its basement, over 80 years after their confiscation during World War II.
Originally seized in 1941 from a Japanese steamship, the artifacts, linked to the Nazi Party, were rediscovered during preparations for a judicial museum and are now under expert analysis at the Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum, offering potential insights into Nazi activities in South America.
The boxes, shipped by the German embassy in Tokyo aboard the Nan-a-Maru in June 1941, were intercepted by Argentine authorities concerned about violating the country’s wartime neutrality. A random inspection of five boxes revealed Nazi propaganda, photographs, postcards, and thousands of notebooks.
Nazi propaganda from 1941 found in Argentina’s Supreme Court basement
Untouched boxes of postcards and photos were hidden for 84 years after being seized from a German shipment pic.twitter.com/sVq6RIumk9
— RT (@RT_com) May 12, 2025The Supreme Court stated, “We identified material intended to consolidate and propagate Adolf Hitler’s ideology in Argentina during the Second World War.” The find, hidden since a federal judge’s order in 1941, stunned court staff.
The materials, moved to a secure location, are being examined by Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum experts, who aim to uncover details about Nazi international funding and ideological efforts in South America. Argentina, neutral until 1944 and a wartime haven for over 40,000 Jewish refugees, declared war on Germany and Japan in 1945. Historians on social media expressed excitement, noting the cache could illuminate lesser-known Holocaust aspects, such as Nazi propaganda networks in Latin America.
The discovery highlights Argentina’s complex WWII role as a refuge for Jewish immigrants and a destination for Nazi materials. With the largest Jewish population in Latin America by 1954, Argentina’s history of neutrality and eventual Allied alignment adds depth to the find.
The judicial museum project, which prompted the rediscovery, underscores the importance of preserving historical artefacts to confront past ideologies and educate future generations.
