A Secret Base, Built By The Nazis In WW2, Has Been Discovered In The Arctic

The latest secret from the Second World War is the discovery of a clandestine Nazi military base in the Arctic.

Located on the island of Alexandra Land, the site is 1,000 kilometers from the North Pole and was built the same year Germany invaded Russia, 1942.

Alexandra Land is a large island of around 410 square miles. It is a cold and inhospitable place, largely covered by ice. There are no permanent inhabitants. It is named for the Russian Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna of Russia. She was born in 1783, a daughter of the Tsar of Russia at the time. She married the then Archduke of Austria and died young, at the age of 17, in 1801.

The island is a part of Russia.

The German WW2 base was codenamed ‘Schatzgraber,’ meaning ‘Treasure Hunter.’ Its main function was as a tactical weather outpost.

Over 500 objects have been found there, including a number of pristine documents, relics, and rusted bullets; all well preserved because of the dry, cold climate. The island was of prime importance to Germany for the weather reports which were critical for planning ship, submarine, and troop movements, the Independent reported.

The base was abandoned by the Germans scientists stationed there. They were poisoned by eating raw meat from a polar bear, and, in 1944, the survivors were rescued by a German U-boat.

Because the base was named Treasure Hunter, some believe that it had a purpose other than just delivering meteorological data: discovering ancient artifacts.

Russia, which discovered the site, may build its own military base at the location.