Episode #050424: Selects: The Legends of Lost Nazi Gold

As if being murdering SOBs weren’t enough, the Nazis were also thieving rats. During WWII, they stole billons in gold from countries they overran and moved it to Germany. But at the end of the war, only part of it was recovered. Where’s the rest? Find out the extent of our knowledge in this classic episode.

AI Summary

# Stuff You Should Know Episode Summary

In this episode, Josh and Chuck dive deep into the history of Nazi gold and the massive theft operation that funded World War II. They explore how Germany, facing economic collapse and lacking natural resources, systematically looted hundreds of millions of dollars in gold from occupied countries and Holocaust victims—including the horrifying practice of extracting gold from victims' teeth. The episode then shifts into the fascinating and ongoing treasure hunts that have captivated adventurers for nearly eighty years, from the legendary ghost train supposedly hidden in Polish mountain tunnels to mysterious shipwrecks and the strange case of Lake Toplitz in Austria, where illegal divers still risk their lives searching for Nazi riches. It's a wild mix of historical atrocity and modern-day treasure legend that reveals just how much stolen wealth remains unaccounted for to this day.

Movies Discussed

Die Hard

1988 2h 12m

★ 7.8

"They called him a common thief. And he goes, I'm an exceptional thief. — Josh references Die Hard's Hans Gruber character in comparison to Nazi thieves and their scale of looting." — Josh

The Monuments Men

2014 1h 58m

★ 6.1

"I was thinking that would be a good movie about World War II era Nazi gold hunters, but it's sort of like three kings already did that, but that was a gulf war. — Josh mentions Monuments Men as a World War II film involving art and treasure recovery, similar to the Nazi gold hunting topic." — Josh

Three Kings

1999 1h 54m

★ 6.6

"I was thinking that would be a good movie about World War II era Nazi gold hunters, but it's sort of like three kings already did that, but that was a gulf war. — Josh references Three Kings as a similar treasure-hunting film but set during the Gulf War instead of World War II." — Josh

Titanic

1997 3h 14m

★ 7.9

"It's like Bill Paxton and Titanic. He needed that reminder from the old lady, like you're all pumped up looking for this jewel. People died here, man. — Chuck uses Titanic as an analogy for treasure hunters forgetting the human cost of their pursuits, comparing Paxton's character needing reminding about the tragedy." — Chuck

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