Polish heritage authorities have officially authorised archaeological surveys and exploratory drilling at a site in the Dziemiany area of northern Poland, aiming to investigate claims linked to the legendary Nazi “gold train” and the missing Amber Room treasure.
The site lies near former SS training grounds established in late 1943. American treasure hunter Jan Delingowski, responsible for leading the renewed search, has traced the alleged location to purported statements by former Nazi official Erich Koch, who is said to have received crucial deathbed testimony regarding the treasure’s whereabouts. According to the permit granted by the Pomeranian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments, preliminary findings from earlier heritage surveys suggested that a WWII-era bunker or hidden German deposit might exist at the Dziemiany site. The approval allows focused archaeological work and core drilling, not full-scale excavation.
This marks one of the few officially sanctioned investigations into the enduring legend of a train laden with gold, gems, and treasures stolen by the Nazis, including the famed Amber Room, considered the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” The Amber Room was looted from Russia’s Catherine Palace in 1941 and remains one of WWII’s most celebrated missing treasures. Earlier searches, particularly around Wałbrzych and the Owl Mountains near Książ Castle, never produced conclusive evidence of buried trains. Ground-penetrating radar scans made headlines in 2015 when a Polish deputy culture minister said he was “99% convinced” a train was buried near Wałbrzych. However, subsequent geological surveys determined the signals likely stemmed from natural rock or ice formations, and no tracks or tunnels were ever found.
Polish scientists later confirmed that anomalies were geological and not human-made, prompting the termination of excavation efforts after significant financial investment. The anticipated gold train remained elusive.
Despite these failures, the cultural and economic impact of the legend has persisted. The town of Wałbrzych saw tourism spike by more than 40% following media attention, and the local museum even considered naming a roundabout after the claimants who initially reported the supposed train location. The legend has become interwoven with popular imagination, even though historians widely regard the gold train as an unproven myth. Delingowski’s current project differs from past efforts by focusing on Dziemiany in Pomerania, not Wałbrzych. His decade of research seeks to validate claims tied to buried SS records, treasures, and possibly the Amber Room. Polish authorities now believe there is enough preliminary evidence to explore further through controlled investigative methods.
If the drilling reveals structural remains or artefacts from WWII Germany, follow-up excavation or preservation work may be authorised. However, at present, no hard proof has emerged to confirm that a Nazi treasure-laden train exists. Existing historical records show no concrete documentation of trains loaded with valuables being buried in either location. In summary, Polish authorities have granted a limited but official go-ahead to search for evidence of a hidden WWII bunker in Dziemiany, possibly tied to the Nazi gold train legend. This approval reignites long-standing speculation around one of WWII’s most enduring mysteries, but to date no treasure or train has been discovered, and historians caution that the gold train remains unverified.
As work proceeds cautiously, using drilling and surveys, not full-scale digs, the world will watch to see whether this fresh attempt can uncover what previous searches could not. Until then, the gold train continues to exist in the realm of myth and possibility, rather than confirmed historical fact.
