Nazis in Argentina

**Nazis in Argentina** is the 3rd episode in Season 5 of Expedition Unknown.

## Plot Synopsis

Josh ventures to Argentina, where many Nazi SS officers escaped to after World War II. He uncovers secret Nazi hideouts and investigates what may be the most shocking conspiracy about Adolf Hitler's ultimate fate.

## Historical Context

"The capture of Adolf Eichmann in 1960 revealed an incredible truth that, at the end of World War II, high-ranking Nazis fled the collapse of the Third Reich and found shelter in Argentina, and, over the decades, several legends began to take root. First, that a secret organisation brought even more senior-level Nazis to South America, where they planned to regroup and create a Fourth Reich. Legend also says that secret U-boats made it to South America, transporting crates of gold and stolen treasure. My mission is to separate fact from historical fiction."

~ Josh Gates

## Summary

Josh goes to Buenos Aires, Argentina and visits Interpol where he meets Marcelo El Haibe, the federal police commissioner. Marcelo shows him Nazi artefacts they've uncovered. He then goes to meet Ariel Gelblung, from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who shows him false passports of Nazis who entered Argentina and tells him about "Odessa" - a Nazi escape program. Josh then visits the ruins of San Ignacio Mini and meets Daniel Schavelzon, an archaeologist.

Daniel shows him that farther into the forest there are 20th-century ruins, newer than the rest at San Ignacio and possibly a Nazi hideout. They meet Ana Igareta, an archaeologist, who helps them make a scan of the ruins. After the scan is complete, Josh is directed to Bariloche, a town in the mountains with German influences, where many Nazis were thought to have hidden out. He goes to Lake Nahuel Huapi and meets Abel Basti, an author, who believes Hitler was in Bariloche even though he was thought to have died at the end of the war.

Abel and Josh go around the lake and Abel points out a bunker and other structures that could possibly be from the Nazis. The next day, they head to Inalco House, the supposed residence of Hitler if he didn't die in Germany. The team is the first ever to film the place. They explore inside the house and use GPR to scan the grounds. Outside, they metal detect and find debris and a Nazi coin.

## Final Words

"Despite the obvious joy of discovery in this moment, the find is a sobering one. The coin doesn't prove that this house was Hitler's but it very possibly belonged to a Nazi, who, like many others in Argentina, escaped justice. The Nazis of the Third Reich are almost all dead now. For those who have successfully hidden for 70 years, there will likely be no prosecution. but the fight against what the Nazis stood for cannot end now. With Nazi artefacts still being traded, and with Nazi stories still being revealed, there is more work to be done. Sadly, the spectre of fascism seems to be rising again around the world. There is no better way to fight its evils than to know its full history. There's no more important task than ensuring that this time, no one can be complicit."

~ Josh Gates

## Notes & Trivia

* *This is where you can put notes and trivia, anything that is interesting or strange can be included here*

## Quotes

* "Just pour it all into a bag, please."
* "I am the Augustus Gloop of Bariloche."
* "Metal detecting in the dark, in the rain, at a house that supposedly belonged to Adolf Hitler. You know, just another Tuesday."

## References

1. ↑ https://api.discovery.com/v1/images/5d5dab4685aeee0ab80c283c?aspectRatio=16x9&width=462&key=3020a40c2356a645b4b4