A stunning historical discovery has come to light in Buenos Aires, where Argentina’s Supreme Court announced it has uncovered more than 80 boxes of Nazi-era materials, including propaganda, photographs, and party records, hidden in its basement archives for over eight decades. The find, made as court staff prepared for the creation of a new museum, is already being hailed as one of the most significant revelations about Nazi influence and networks in South America.
A Forgotten Shipment from 1941
The boxes, originally seized by Argentine authorities during World War II, arrived in Buenos Aires on June 20, 1941, aboard the Japanese vessel Nan-a-Maru. The shipment, sent from the German Embassy in Tokyo to the German diplomatic mission in Argentina, was declared as “personal effects” by German diplomats. However, Argentine customs officials, wary of the nation’s neutral stance during the war, inspected several of the 83 packages and discovered postcards, photographs, Nazi Party membership booklets, and extensive propaganda material designed to spread Adolf Hitler’s ideology in Argentina.
A federal judge ordered the seizure of the boxes, and the case was escalated to the Supreme Court. For reasons that remain unclear, the majority of the boxes were stored in the basement of the Palace of Justice and forgotten for over 80 years.
Rediscovery and Preservation
The boxes resurfaced as court staff relocated archives to prepare for a future museum. On May 9, 2025, Supreme Court President Horacio Rosatti personally supervised the formal opening of several boxes, joined by AMIA Chief Rabbi Eliahu Hamra, Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum Director Jonathan Karszenbaum, and other experts and legal officials. The court has since moved the materials to a secure location and invited the Holocaust Museum to assist with preservation and cataloging.
The contents include:
- Nazi propaganda pamphlets and postcards
- Photographs and party records, including thousands of notebooks linked to the Nazi Party and German trade union federations
- Membership booklets from Nazi organizations, some bearing swastikas
- Documents believed to have been intended to reinforce Nazi ideology in Argentina, even after WWII began
Some of the materials are in poor condition, but others remain well preserved, offering a rare window into Nazi propaganda efforts in Latin America.
Historical and Political Impact
The discovery comes amid a broader push for transparency in Argentina regarding its WWII-era history. President Javier Milei’s administration recently declassified nearly 2,000 files detailing state complicity in sheltering Nazi war criminals, including infamous figures like Josef Mengele and Adolf Eichmann. The new revelations are expected to fuel further research into Argentina’s role as a haven for fleeing Nazis and the international financial and diplomatic networks that supported them.
The Supreme Court’s move to involve Holocaust experts and preserve the materials signals a commitment to historical memory and education. The court’s agreement with the Holocaust Memory Foundation and the Association of Jewish Lawyers, signed in December 2024, paved the way for such cooperation.
Next Steps
Researchers will now analyze the contents for new insights into the Holocaust, Nazi escape routes, and possible financial networks. The process is expected to take weeks, with the goal of making the findings accessible for historical research and public education.
As Argentina reckons with this chapter of its past, the discovery underscores the enduring importance of confronting historical truths and preserving the memory of the Holocaust for future generations.