Berlin
Treasure-hunters in southern Russia are stealing medals, insignia, and other artifacts off the corpses of Nazi soldiers, German authorities announced. Such booty fetches a tempting price on the black market. A single Iron Cross can sell for $50, nearly half the average monthly wage in the impoverished Caucasus region. Most of the German cemeteries in Russia—where some 150,000 Wehrmacht soldiers lie buried—have already been looted, and unmarked mass graves are now being targeted. The German Commission for the Care of War Graves said Russians scour the countryside with metal detectors, searching for soldiers’ remains. “It’s become something of a weekend sport to desecrate the graves in the hunt for souvenirs,” a commission official told Der Spiegel.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 high rating cartoons about Biden's low poll numbersCartoons Artists take on checklists, ice creams, and more
-
A gastronomic tour of the Costa de la LuzThe Week Recommends This Spanish spot has fantastic restaurants "rooted in the region's distinctive produce"
-
Crossword: May 19, 2024The Week's daily crossword
