Nazis hoped to found empire in Amazonian rainforest
Nazis travelled into the Amazon rainforest to scout suitable sites for a South American colony, according to a new book.
German scientists took an expedition to a remote region of the Brazilian Amazon on the border with French Guiana to see if they could set up a Nazi outpost in the Amazon.
The book, The Guyana Project: A German Adventure on the Amazon, says the Nazis believed they were destined to colonise and settle in parts of the world much like the pioneers of America's west.
On an island on a tributary of the Jari River, author Jens Gluessing found a 9ft-high wooden cross etched with swastikas.
The inscription says: "Joseph Greiner died here on 2.1.1936, a death from fever in the service of German Research Work."
Mr Gluessing discovered photographs of the expedition by exploring German and Brazilian archives.
He found that Greiner was one of three sent by the SS to explore the region bordering French Guyana with a view to populating it on behalf of the Reich.
The team, using the cover story they were collecting specimens of fauna and wildlife, reported back to their boss Heinrich Himmler on how German soldiers could live in Brazil.
It would appear however the explorers were defeated by the Amazon.
Dr Otto Schulz-Kampfhenkel, an SS officer and leader of the expedition, wrote to Himmler and said: "The two largest scantly populated, but rich in resources, areas on earth are in Siberia and South America.
"They alone offer spacious immigration and settlement possibilities for the Nordic peoples."
He added of the Amazon area: "For the more advanced white race it offers outstanding possibilities for exploitation."
It would appear however before the plan was finalised, Himmler lost interest, thus shelving a potential Nazi South American colony.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/3252103/Na…nforest.html
Nazis travelled into the Amazon rainforest to scout suitable sites for a South American colony, according to a new book.
German scientists took an expedition to a remote region of the Brazilian Amazon on the border with French Guiana to see if they could set up a Nazi outpost in the Amazon.
The book, The Guyana Project: A German Adventure on the Amazon, says the Nazis believed they were destined to colonise and settle in parts of the world much like the pioneers of America's west.
On an island on a tributary of the Jari River, author Jens Gluessing found a 9ft-high wooden cross etched with swastikas.
The inscription says: "Joseph Greiner died here on 2.1.1936, a death from fever in the service of German Research Work."
Mr Gluessing discovered photographs of the expedition by exploring German and Brazilian archives.
He found that Greiner was one of three sent by the SS to explore the region bordering French Guyana with a view to populating it on behalf of the Reich.
The team, using the cover story they were collecting specimens of fauna and wildlife, reported back to their boss Heinrich Himmler on how German soldiers could live in Brazil.
It would appear however the explorers were defeated by the Amazon.
Dr Otto Schulz-Kampfhenkel, an SS officer and leader of the expedition, wrote to Himmler and said: "The two largest scantly populated, but rich in resources, areas on earth are in Siberia and South America.
"They alone offer spacious immigration and settlement possibilities for the Nordic peoples."
He added of the Amazon area: "For the more advanced white race it offers outstanding possibilities for exploitation."
It would appear however before the plan was finalised, Himmler lost interest, thus shelving a potential Nazi South American colony.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/3252103/Na…nforest.html