Štěchovice treasure

The legend of the Stechovice Treasure in the Czech Republic is based on the novel "The Prague Connection".

The story says that Emil Klein, a Nazi general buried war booty in tunnels in Hradistko near Stechovice. The booty included gold, diamonds, jewelry and pieces of art as well as secret files and scientific documents from the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute. Based on documents found in 1993 in the Weimar area, some experts believe that the Nazis hid the stolen goods and the missing Russian "Amber Room" in these tunnels.

Only one person claims to possess the original documents about the contents and has knowledge of the exact location where this alleged treasure is hidden, former German "(Sudeten Deutsche)" Helmut Gaensel. He claims he received these documents, additional information and a specific area map from the former SS General in charge, Emil Klein. Mr. Gaensel worked for the Czech and other secret services and was involved in matters connected with this treasure. In 1964, he arranged the release of Klein from the KZ Valdice prison in Czechoslovakia. During the 1970s, and even in 1989, there were some attempts to pick up the Stechovice treasure under the control of the Ministries of Interior and Defence. The last works had been done before the Revolution by the foreign trade company Omnipol, trading mainly with weapons. In 1992, Gaensel bought the relevant property and signed an exclusive agreement with the Czech authorities to obtain the sole rights to unveil the treasure.

In 2007, a dentist in the region claimed to have found the location. The treasure is reportedly hidden by 5m (16') of debris in the entrance of a nearby cave. It might contain the Belgian gold lent to France made in World War II.Fact|date=December 2007