Treasure hunters say they are close to finding £50 BILLION Nazi treasure left behind by Hitler's forces as they fled Czech town in 1945 

  • Treasure of 540 boxes is said to be hidden 16ft underground near Prague
  • Hunters have been searching for 30 years and are digging in Štěchovice
  • In the chests are said to be a stash of diamonds, gold and other valuables
  • It is thought Hitler's men left them behind in a cave when the Germans fled 

By Allan Hall for MailOnline

Published: 02:51 EST, 6 October 2016 | Updated: 21:17 EST, 6 October 2016

Treasure hunters have said they are close to finding a £50billion Nazi treasure left behind by Hilter's forces as they fled a Czech town in 1945.  

Nazi gold fever has struck Štěchovice, 20 miles from the Czech capital Prague, where the hunt is on for chests of diamonds, gold and valuable old masters allegedly left behind by the fleeing Germans in 1945.

A former SS pioneer school was based in the town and, according to amateur sleuth Josef Mužík, claims there are 540 boxes of treasure worth around £50billion at today's prices.

Treasure hunters have said they are close to finding a £50billion Nazi treasure left behind by Hilter's forces as they fled a Czech town in 1945

Treasure hunters have said they are close to finding a £50billion Nazi treasure left behind by Hilter's forces as they fled a Czech town in 1945

Nazi gold fever has struck ¿t¿chovice, 20 miles from the Czech capital Prague, where the hunt is on for chests of diamonds, gold and valuable old masters allegedly left behind by the fleeing Germans in 1945

Nazi gold fever has struck Štěchovice, 20 miles from the Czech capital Prague, where the hunt is on for chests of diamonds, gold and valuable old masters allegedly left behind by the fleeing Germans in 1945

It is understood the boxes of treasure are buried 16ft underground inside a cave

It is understood the boxes of treasure are buried 16ft underground inside a cave

Hunters have been searching for the treasure for 30 years and are now digging in ¿t¿chovice (pictured)

Hunters have been searching for the treasure for 30 years and are now digging in Štěchovice (pictured)

He and his partner claim to have found 'solid evidence' in archives that Nazi General Emil Klein had built the boxes and filled them with gold, gemstones, paintings, and documents from the Berlin Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institute - a German scientific and medical foundation.

Mužík began his hunt three decades ago and recently teamed up with Sudeten German Helmut Gänsel, a former employee of the Czech intelligence service who interrogated General Klein after the war.

He has turned the hunt into a social media event, sharing updates of the search for the subterranean caverns where he believes the treasure lies on his Facebook page.

He hopes to crowdfund future digs at the site which will need substantial amounts of money for plant and equipment.

A former SS pioneer school was based in the town and, according to amateur sleuth Josef Mu¿ík (pictured), claims there are 540 boxes of treasure worth around £50billion at today's prices

A former SS pioneer school was based in the town and, according to amateur sleuth Josef Mužík (pictured), claims there are 540 boxes of treasure worth around £50billion at today's prices

The story of the Štěchovice treasure has been bubbling away since the end of the war. 

Based on documents found in 1993 in the Weimar area of Germany, many experts believe that the Nazis hid their loot there.

Gaensel claims that he has the original documents about the contents and knows the exact location of the hidden treasure.

He says that he received the documents, additional information and a specific area map from Klein, the former SS general in command.

Gaensel worked for the Czech and other secret services. 

In 1964, he arranged the release of Klein from the KZ Valdice prison in Czechoslovakia. 

During the 1970s, and as late as 1989, there were some attempts to recover the Štěchovice treasure under the control of the communist defence and interior ministries.

The hunters hope to unearth the monster £50billion treasure before the spring of next year

The hunters hope to unearth the monster £50billion treasure before the spring of next year

Josef and his partner claim to have found 'solid evidence' in archives that Nazi General Emil Klein had built the boxes and filled them with gold, gemstones, paintings, and documents from the Berlin Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institute - a German scientific and medical foundation

Josef and his partner claim to have found 'solid evidence' in archives that Nazi General Emil Klein had built the boxes and filled them with gold, gemstones, paintings, and documents from the Berlin Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institute - a German scientific and medical foundation

The last efforts were carried out before the revolution by the foreign trade company Omnipol, which traded mainly in weapons

The last efforts were carried out before the revolution by the foreign trade company Omnipol, which traded mainly in weapons

 The hunt in Stechovice (pictured) has turned the hunt into a social media event

 The hunt in Stechovice (pictured) has turned the hunt into a social media event

The last efforts were carried out before the revolution by the foreign trade company Omnipol, which traded mainly in weapons. 

In 1992, Gaensel bought the relevant property and signed an exclusive agreement with the Czech authorities to obtain the sole rights to unearth the treasure.

He and Mužík hope to unearth it before the spring of next year.

The treasure is reportedly hidden by 16ft of debris in the entrance of a cave.

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