The adventurous spirit of a father and his 19-year-old son in Nordhausen, northern Thuringia, led to a massive search for missing people. According to police, the two apparently tried to enter the underground tunnel system of the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp memorial without permission to explore parts of Kohnstein’s extensive tunnel system that are inaccessible to visitors.
The 50-year-old man had told his ex-wife about the plan. Because she was worried about her son and father, she called the police.
Officials must assume that there is danger to life and limb. They began a search for missing people in the area around the underground facilities where concentration camp prisoners had to work for the production of Nazi weapons. Apart from officers on the ground searching for the father-daughter pair with sniffer dogs, a police helicopter was also used to track the duo’s vehicle. Those they were looking for noticed the operation and seemed very intimidated by the sight they were hiding from. In the end, they alerted a relative over the phone, who then gave permission to the police.
Police turned to those who might be copying the plan: Not only was the plan dangerous, it also had potentially expensive consequences for the two “Lost Places” tourists. According to a spokesperson for the situation center, the two will have to cover the costs of the mission which is their own responsibility in accordance with the Thuringian Police Duties Act. The 50-year-old father and his 19-year-old son also face trespassing charges.
