Argentina’s Supreme Court discovered documents and propaganda related to Adolf Hitler’s rule in its own archives, shedding new light on efforts to disseminate Nazi ideology in the South American country during World War II, according to AP News.
The discovery, confirmed to The Associated Press by a judicial official on 12 May 2024, includes postcards, photographs, and printed materials designed to “consolidate and propagate” Nazi ideals in Argentina.
The cache is believed tied to 83 packages sent from the German Embassy in Tokyo aboard the Japanese steamship Nan-a-Maru, which docked in Buenos Aires on 20 June 1941. At the time, German diplomats claimed the boxes contained personal items, but Argentine customs officials seized the shipment.
The materials remained buried in judicial archives until now, uncovered during preparations for a museum showcasing the court’s historical records.
Supreme Court President Horacio Rosatti ordered the preservation and forensic analysis of the items, which experts say could reveal how Nazi networks operated in Argentina, a known refuge for war criminals like Adolf Eichmann post-1945. The propaganda, printed in German and Spanish, reportedly glorified Hitler’s policies and sought to sway Argentine public opinion amid the war.
The Court has not yet disclosed whether the archives include names of individuals or details on local collaborators.
