20.2.2014 Did the searcher find the legendary treasure of the Nibelungs?

An archaeology enthusiast found a real treasure from the Late Antiquity in Germany seven years ago. It consisted of gold and silver jewellery, but also other precious objects. Speculation began to swirl as to whether this was the legendary treasure of the Nibelungs.

The name of the finder has remained secret and has not been released to the media. Experts have estimated the value of the treasure at more than one million euros. The finder discovered it with a metal detector in a forest near the town of Rülzheim in the southern West German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. However, he searched there without permission and only handed the treasure over to the authorities under duress.

The hoard contained silver bowls, brooches and other ornaments, probably from aristocratic clothing. Then there were the magnificent statuettes that adorned the armchair of someone of high rank. Experts have also said they cannot rule out the possibility that the finder sold off some of the treasure or simply kept it. The authorities even started investigating at the time.

"As for the timing and location of the find, it fits the legend of the Nibelung treasure. But we can't say whether it really is. Whoever possessed the treasure, however, lived very well indeed," said Axel von Berg, chief archaeologist of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Regardless of whether or not the treasure is actually Nibelungen or not, it seems to have been buried in haste by its owner or thief sometime around 406 and 407 AD, when the Roman Empire was crumbling in the area along the Rhine.

"Unfortunately, the searcher irrevocably destroyed the site with his improper approach," Axel von Berg said.

The Nibelung craze captivated the vast majority of Germany at the time, a literal frenzy ensued. People were hungry to find hidden riches. This story began to unfold in 1755, when the German physician Hermann Obereit found the Nibelungenlied manuscript in the library of Hohenemburg. German society became more interested in it during the German Revolutionary Wars against Napoleon's army.

The epic tells the story of the love between the beautiful Kriemhild and the brave knight Siegfried. The Nibelungenlied also swept the Nazis up in the madness. Siegfried was hailed as a symbol of heroism and faith in destiny. After the first Munich putsch in 1923, the German cartoonist Georg Grosz even compared Hitler to Siegfried.

We wrote more about this here: The Nibelung Madness

Sources: www.independent.co.uk, www.dailymail.co.uk