By Tim Binnall
In a new twist to a longstanding mystery, a German treasure hunter believes that he may have finally located where the legendary lost Amber Room was hidden. The ornate amber and gold paneling from a Russian palace was infamously stolen by the Nazis during World War II and subsequently vanished as the chaos unfolded at the end of the conflict. Although some historians have argued that the priceless pilfered pieces of the room were probably destroyed during a bombing campaign, an array of researchers over the years have attempted to find the elusive riches which they suspect somehow managed to survive the war.
Karl-Heinz Kleine is the latest individual to step forward with a claim on the possible location of the Amber Room. Having zeroed in on the Polish town of Wegorzewo, the treasure hunter and his team reportedly utilized "professional geo-radar" to find a heretofore-unknown underground tunnel. Incredibly, upon closer inspection of the area, Kleine discovered a hatch which would presumably allow entrance to the location. However, atop the doorway is a tree which was planted sometime long ago and, for now, renders the manhole inaccessible.
Nonetheless, he declared the discovery a "breakthrough" and, presumably, plans to obtain permission to cut down the tree in order to gain access to the underground bunker. While we genuinely hope that his quest is successful and this newfound tunnel contains the treasure, one would be wise to temper their expectations. That's because, similar to assertions that the Voynich Manuscript has been cracked or the Amelia Earhart mystery solved, it seems as if someone shows up every few years saying that they've found the Amber Room only to come up short once again.