Skeletons missing hands and feet discovered at Hitler’s former headquarters in Poland – but cause of death remains a mystery

Polish prosecutors have abandoned their investigation into human skeletons discovered at the site of the German dictator. Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during World War II because the state of disrepair made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.

The remains were found on February 24 in The Wolf’s Lair, which served as Hitler’s headquarters from 1941 to 1944, when the region was part of Germany. The complex of around 200 Nazi bunkers and military barracks hidden in the deep woods was the site of the failed assassination attempt on Hitler by Colonel Claus Stauffenberg on July 20, 1944.

Spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in the neighboring town of Ketrzyn, Daniel Brodowski, said police officers secured the remains after they were found by a local group, Latebra, which searches for historical objects.

A forensic expert examined them under the supervision of the prosecution, which was trying to determine whether there had been manslaughter. The investigation was halted in late March due to a lack of evidence that a crime had been committed, Brodowski told The Associated Press in an emailed statement.

“The expert stated that the preserved skeletal remains were of human origin and came from at least four people, three of whom were most likely middle-aged men, and the fourth was a child of several years whose gender cannot be determined. be determined,” Brodowski said. wrote.

But due to the advanced deterioration of the remains, it was no longer possible to determine the cause of death, he explained, noting that at least several decades had passed.

The skeletons, missing their hands and feet, were buried in the villa of the commander of the German Air Force. Hermann GöringReuters reported.

“You would never expect such things in a place like it was… the most guarded place in the Third Reich and after the war the Russians took over this place,” said Dominik Markiewicz, member from Latebra, to Reuters. “Everyone was wondering what could have happened there… We tried to think of something, but nothing reasonable came to mind. We had no idea what we were dealing with . Were these occult rituals of Third Reich fanatics?

After the war, Wolf’s Lair became part of Poland and today is a major tourist attraction.