Conservation works of the Czocha Castle, South-West Poland, lead to a discovery of a hidden space, filled with valuable historic items, including an unique breathing apparatus, books, family albums, and a part of a rocket engine from a Messerschmitt airplane.

The hidden space was found as the castle’s roof was undergoing renovation. The workers have stumbled upon a cache prepared a couple of decades earlier. Inside it objects of historic value were discovered, among which was a copy of The Napoleonic Code, books from the 1920s and 1930s, family albums, a breathing apparatus, and part of a jet engine possibly from a Messerschitt Me 163 Komet craft. At present it is not known how the objects got there and who has hidden them, but during World War 2 German workers from the nearby weapons factories were accommodated so it is possible, that the objects might have been hidden there by a person from that group. The researchers who inspected the objects state that there are no documents which would allow to identify who exactly hid the items. As to the objects found, the breathing apparatus is said to be a unique one, and the engine part has been unofficially identified by its markings but further investigation on its origin is still necessary. All items are said to be put on display for the castle’s visitors in near future.

(after Jarosław Kuczyński, Zamek Czocha & TVN24)