A bas relief portrait of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was found in a hidden room in a house near Argentina's capital. Photo/AP
A bas relief portrait of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was found in a hidden room in a house near Argentina's capital. Photo/AP
In a hidden room in a house near Argentina's capital, police believe they have found the biggest collection of Nazi artefacts in the country's history, including busts of Adolf Hitler, magnifying glasses inside elegant boxes with swastikas and even a macabre medical device used to measure head size.
Some 75 objects were found in a collector's home in Beccar, a suburb north of Buenos Aires, and authorities say they suspect they are originals that belonged to high-ranking Nazis in Germany during WWII.
Nazi sculptures and pieces of Egyptian and Chinese art were seized by the Federal Police.
Argentina's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said on Monday that many of the pieces were accompanied by old photographs.
A swastika-adorned box containing harmonicas for children. Photo/AP
"This is a way to commercialise them, showing that they were used by the horror, by the Fuhrer. There are photos of him with the objects."
The treasure included ceremonial knives, trinket boxes embossed with Nazi eagles, busts of Nazi eagles, rings, eyeglasses, cufflinks - even a Nazi sundial.
One person has reportedly been detained for illicit trafficking in works of art.
Along with the Nazi art, ancient Asian and Egyptian objects were recovered along with a variety of fossils.
Raids also were conducted on a warehouse and a shopping centre store to recover the objects.
Members of the federal police carry a Nazi statue at the Interpol headquarters in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Authorities say they suspect they are originals that belonged to high-ranking Nazis in Germany during WWII. Photo/AP
Police chief Nestor Roncaglia said the objects were hidden behind a false wall.
"We are moved, it is very impressive the discovery of these original pieces with Nazi symbolism, emblems of a tragic time in history," Minister Bullrich said at a press conference.
A member of the Argentine federal police holds an hourglass with Nazi markings. Photo/AP
"We assume that these objects were not stolen, but were extracted or expelled from their countries of origin," said the Commissioner and Head of the Division of Cultural Heritage Protection, Marcelo El Haibe.
The investigation was initiated after Cultural Heritage Protection staff noticed objects for sale at the store which appeared to be in breach of UNESCO guidelines.
