In a startling discovery, archaeologists have found the skeletons of five individuals missing their hands and feet at the former Nazi military base, the Wolf’s Lair, in Gierloz, northeastern Poland. The group stumbled upon a fragment of human skull during a dig on February 24 and promptly alerted local authorities. Following this, further excavations were carried out, revealing the remains of three adults, a teenager, and a newborn baby, as confirmed by the Latebra Foundation on Thursday.
These bodies were arranged near each other, facing in the same direction, outside a house once occupied by Nazi commander Hermann Göring, a prominent figure in World War II. Adjacent to them were burnt boards and remnants of sewage infrastructure, with no clothing traces found on the scene, according to the foundation.
As Adrian Kostrzewa, a board member of the foundation, shared with CNN, the team initially suspected they were uncovering an old bathroom due to the presence of underground pipes. However, their discovery of ashes, a burned key, and eventually the skull fragment left them taken aback.
The foundation is currently awaiting the results of a police investigation into the remains, leaving many unanswered questions. Kostrzewa mentioned, “There are many theories (about) why they do not have hands and feet… Right now, it’s very hard to say.”
An essential next step would involve determining the age of the remains through radio carbon dating, as highlighted by Kostrzewa. The Wolf’s Lair, situated deep in the forests of northeastern Poland and far from civilization, served as the Nazi Eastern Front headquarters spanning 6.5 square kilometers (2.5 square miles).
Described by the foundation as one of Europe’s largest facilities of its kind, the Wolf’s Lair holds significance due to its association with Hitler, who spent nearly three years there. The site also witnessed Operation Valkyrie, an assassination attempt against Hitler in July 1944, before its destruction in January 1945 to prevent it from falling into Soviet hands.
