83 boxes of Nazi material sent from Tokyo in 1941 were rediscovered after 84 years—shedding light on Argentina’s role in postwar Nazi escape routes
(May 13, 2025 / JNS) Argentine Supreme Court officials have uncovered a trove of Nazi propaganda and documents long forgotten in the basement of the court’s historic building—material originally confiscated more than 80 years ago during World War II, the court announced on Sunday.
The cache of 83 wooden boxes, filled with postcards, photographs, Nazi propaganda and thousands of notebooks, was found by chance as court staff prepared archival materials for a planned museum. The rediscovery has raised new questions about Argentina’s wartime neutrality and its postwar role as a haven for fleeing Nazi officials, reported the Buenos Aires Herald.
According to a statement from the court, the boxes were shipped from the German embassy in Tokyo to Buenos Aires aboard the Japanese steamship Nan-a-Maru on June 20, 1941. German diplomats had claimed the contents were personal effects and requested an exemption from inspection. However, concerns about Argentina’s neutrality prompted officials to investigate.