By Tim Binnall
An unearthed railway line within a Nazi bunker complex in Poland has sparked speculation that it could lead to the legendary lost Amber Room. The remarkable discovery was reportedly made by researchers in the town of Mamerski, where the German Army Supreme Command was headquartered during World War II. A recent deforestation project saw the site cleared of trees, which allowed experts from the Jaćwież-Elk, Augustów Historical and Exploration Association to survey the area. To their amazement, they discovered a set of railway tracks and wagon wheels at a depth of around five feet below the ground, leading into what would have been the bunker system.
Detailing the find on social media, the Mamerki museum's Bartlomiej Plebańczyk marveled that "this is a huge surprise as we did not know that there was a railroad inside the complex." He went on to observe that "the railway line and the wagon were covered up on purpose, but we have no idea who did, when they did it and why." The mysterious nature of the discovery led Plebańczyk to theorize that it could possibly be connected to the apocryphal Nazi 'gold train' which is said to have been stuffed with a slew of pilfered treasures, including the ornate gold and amber paneling stolen from a Russian palace, and subsequently hidden at the end of WWII.
Plebańczyk ultimately mused that "we'll find out soon enough," whether his suspicions might be correct, though he conceded that it could take a few weeks before officials in Mamerski allow for a more extensive search of the area where the previously unknown railway was found. The discovery is certainly tantalizing to treasure hunters who have wondered what might have become of the Amber Room after it was looted by the Nazis. That said, one would be wise to temper their expectations as there have been countless previous pursuits that began as promising searches, but ultimately failed to produce the priceless paneling and, if.history is any indication, this latest lead could similarly fall short.