Surrounding the lake were sandy, gravely, banks of earth, which extended down to the water’s edge. Slender, and majestic, they grew, stretching high into the air, competing with each other for the available natural light. Around the perimeter of the lake were tall conifer trees.
A myriad of stars shone brightly in a cloudless sky, their shimmering light dancing across the surface of the water. Its dark waters glistened, reflecting the moonlight as though it were a mirror. The lake was flat and calm with barely a ripple. It is a story of murder, blackmail and revenge. It is the story of two men, an American GI, and an SS Major. It is a story of the search for hidden nazi gold, but it is much more than that. This is the background and the inspiration that led to my first novel “The Kammersee Affair”. In August 2005 I stayed at Lake Grundlsee, a mile or two from Toplitz. Over the years following the War extensive searches have been carried out, but no gold bullion has ever been discovered. Rumours began to spread regarding buried treasures, and hidden gold bullion. Large quantities of counterfeit money, and the printing presses that produced the forged notes, were also deposited into the lake. Torpedoes and crates of ammunition were disposed of in a similar manner. Several hundred documents were destroyed in this way. Large quantities, of these items, were subsequently packed into wooden crates, and then placed into the dark murky waters of the lake. Using a primitive device, the scientists had even succeeded in launching a rocket from under the surface of the lake.Īs the end of the war in Europe drew to a close, orders were given that numerous items, including weapons, documents, and counterfeit money, were to be destroyed.
The facility had been set up to test dynamite, explosives, underwater torpedoes, mines and rockets. The name Toplitzsee probably comes from the Czech word “Teplice” which means “Warm spring.”įrom the middle of 1943, until the end of the war, the German Navy had established and operated a secret marine testing facility on the lake.
Its basic temperature is about 5.8 degrees Centigrade, which is about 1.8 degrees Centigrade warmer than other lakes of this type. The water temperature of the lake is abnormal. It is one of the deepest lakes in the region, extending down to a depth of 103 metres. It is approximately 718 metres above sea level, approximately 1920 metres long and 388 metres wide, at its widest part. Lake Toplitzsee is located in the Austrian Salzkammergut, the Austrian lake district.
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