Archaeologists discover a Nazi time capsule in Poland

The contents of a Nazi-era time capsule.

(Image credit: AP Photo/Sebastian Kuropatnicki)

published 20 September 2016

Archaeologists exploring what used to be a Nazi training facility in Zlocieniec, Poland, have discovered a time capsule dating back to 1934. The cylindrical copper capsule contained two "perfectly preserved" copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, newspapers, coins, photographs, and the training center's 1934 founding act, Time reported. The facility, Ordensburg Krössinsee, was founded to train future Nazis.

Although archaeologists had long known the time capsule was buried at the facility, reaching it required them to "find their way through thick concrete, German mines, and wade through groundwater," The Independent reported. Initially, archaeologists went looking for the capsule in hopes it would contain footage from 1933 showing the celebration of the town's 600th anniversary; at the time, Zlocieniec was called Falkenburg and was a part of Germany. The capsule did not end up containing the film, however.

The time capsule's contents are being housed at the National Museum in Szczecin, and they will soon be available to the public.