Nothe first James Bond film everDr.
In 1997sAustin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Dr.
Evil worked his hilariously malicious hijinks from an underground bunker complete with laser-equipped sharks.
Chmee
Eighteen months later, overwhelmed by the advancing Soviets, the Nazis abandoned the project.
Project Riese: German For Giant
The word Riese (prounced REE-zuh) means giant in German.
In April 1943 Hitler issued an order for the project to start.
Map of Project Riese in the Owl Mountains of what was formerly Germany and is now Poland. (Wikimedia Commons)
He hired Armaments Minister Albert Speer to execute the project.
The Nazis destroyed as many records regarding the project as possible, and it remains shrouded in mystery.
Was it supposed to be Hitlers secret bunker… Others speculate that the Nazis various anti-gravity experiments would have been much safer to conduct deep within manmade caves.
Nazi Armaments Minister Albert Speer shows Adolf Hitler blueprints for Project Riese. (Wikimedia Commons)
There are unverified reports that the Nazis were seeking uranium deposits buried deep within the Owl Mountains.
Allegedly, five of the seven scientists who worked on this project died of mysterious causes.
And what was this weird-looking thing?
(Wikimedia Commons)
What role did this beautiful castle play in this sinister plot?
Ksiaz Castle is one of the most famous, beautiful, and regal castles in all of Europe.
Its construction was completed in 1292 but the Nazis seized ownership of it in 1941.
“The Henge,” AKA the “Fly Trap.” (YouTube)
It has two series of underground tunnels running underneath it.
The second tunnels were built as part of Project Riese and extended much further underground.
Is the famous Nazi Gold Train buried somewhere in these tunnels?
Ksiaz Castle. (Wikimedia Commons)
Works of art the Nazis had stolen from all the nations theyd occupied.
The riches from Silesias noble von Schaffgotsch family.
The entire tunnel system was built by slave labor.
Of the 8,995 prisoners who were identified, all were Jewish.
Most came from Hungary, with the rest from Poland, Greece, Romania, and elsewhere.
Five thousand of the slave laborers died from typhus, malnutrition, disease, and exhaustion.
Fourteen of the prisoners were executed by German guards after failed escape attempts.
The mean life expectancy for a worker in these caves was four months.
Believe it or not, there are tours!
Of the seven tunnel systems that began construction under Project Riese, three are considered too dangerous for tourists.
