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Durant returned to the United States on 30 days leave in March, taking more loot with him. However, unbeknownst to the trio, an investigation had already been launched into the disappearance of the jewels. In April 1945, elements of Patton’s Third Army arrived at the home of the von Hessen familyin Kassel, Schloss Friedrichshof, more commonly referred to as Kronberg Castle. Princess Margarethe was living in a cottage on the grounds, and Christoph’s wife, Princess Sophia and her four children along with Philipp’s children and other family members were living in the main home.
Nash refused to meet with the princess or give more information than a hollow promise the jewels would still be there when the family got the castle back. Over the next several months, and into 1946, the three continued to sell off gems and metal scraps here and there, amassing quite a decent amount of cash. No doubt they were riding high, assuming they were “getting away with it.” In February 1946, Nash received orders to return to the United States. She was to be separated from the Army, as her enlistment was up.
The Hesse Heist: The Family von Hessen
But the officers were undeterred, and small items continued to go missing as everyone wanted some sort of souvenir to take home. After the Hessen family left, their estate became an officer’s club for use by the US Army. The beautiful castle and grounds were a perfect place for officers to get a little R&R, and offered outdoor activities, lodging, and dining. No doubt for many of the officers, the castle was the most opulent residence they had ever seen.
Finding the false wall, the assistant broke into it with a sledgehammer, behind which was the area where the box of jewels had been buried. The stories vary as to whether Nash ordered the cement patch investigated or if the box was found and brought to her attention. The family brought their most prized pieces to Wolfgang, who along with the estate manager Heinrich Lange, packaged the items neatly, creating an inventory for each package. One remained with the items; another went with Lange for safekeeping. The waterproof lining was soldered shut and a top put onto the box. She asked Lange to get a statement from Nash acknowledging the box had been found and a date upon which the items would be returned to the family.
The Last Days of the Dachau Concentration Camp
Nash, born in Wisconsin in 1902, had been living with her husband and two older teenage children in Arizona. In 1940, she divorced her husband, and, two years later, lied about her age and joined the WAACs (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps). On June 15, 1945, she was literally given the keys to the castle as the officer of the mess section at the club.
Nash was given the authority to use household items as needed and was charged with the safekeeping of the contents of the castle. An inventory, though not complete, had been taken, and dozens of desks, chairs, and other furniture had already been officially removed for use elsewhere by Army personnel. In January 1946, as Nash, Durant, and Watson continued selling off gemstones and precious metals, Princess Sophia was preparing for her second wedding. Nash declined all requests from Sophie to meet and return her jewels. So, the Hessens contacted the US Army office responsible for protecting German cultural and historic artifacts and asked for an investigation to be launched. When they were slow to act, Princess Sophia went straight to the Criminal Investigation Division in April and asked them to investigate.
This Astros prospect's home run went how far?!?
Watson traveled to Northern Ireland several times to sell gems and metals, giving some baubles to a girlfriend there to keep. Nash and Durant traveled across Switzerland on at least one occasion, selling gems and settings where they could. Though they unloaded a fair amount, not all of the gems were sold in Europe. Within the first week, a painting by Peter Paul Rubens and a sculpted marble hand went missing. Distraught, Nash went to authorities and an investigation was launched by the Army’s CID . In response to the theft, a check-in desk was set up and one of the original servants of the house was always situated by the door to watch for theft.
As many as half a million civilians remained in Stalingrad when the Germans approached in the late summer of 1942. Those who survived the initial onslaught and did not manage to flee, had to eke out a living on a battleground ravaged by incessant bombardment and street fighting. The story of the Hesse Heist, the theft of royal German jewels, delves into the wartime story of the Nazi elite. Other items, which seemed less conspicuous, were sent via Army post. Watson sent a silver pitcher to his mother while Nash mailed a gold cutlery set to her sister in Wisconsin. Durant was able to send some items in diplomatic pouches, avoiding searches.
Astros bracelet
In all, an estimated 30 boxes were shipped to the states between the three. Lange was the longtime manager of the von Hessen estates and business. For the last several days of its existence, before soldiers of the United States Seventh Army arrived, Dachau was a small, self-enclosed universe of decay and death. Part II of the story of the Hesse Heist focuses on the fate of the Hessen family and their estate. Part III of the story of the Hesse Heist tells the story of the discovery and theft of the jewels. The homer was well timed for the 2020 fourth-rounder out of Tennessee.
Daniels entered Wednesday 2-for-18 (.111) through his first five games with the Saguaros, and he had missed two weeks of play with a right wrist injury before returning to action Monday. For reference, Statcast measured the longest Astros Major League homer in 2022 at 469 feet, hit by Yordan Alvarez on May 30. That Alvarez homer came off Oakland hurler Paul Blackburn, and Daniels’ moonshot came against A’s right-handed pitching prospect Ryan Cusick. SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Zach Daniels studied a lot of Jeremy Peña in the spring.
A false wall was then built to hide the area in which the box was buried. The family was convinced of the safety of their priceless pieces. Back in the United States, Durant was on leave on the East Coast, trying to either sell or hide everything he had brought back. It was difficult to sell gems without paperwork, but Durant managed to unload several large ones, using a fake name at times. Such ornate items were found throughout the castle and left in place.
Told to pack within four hours and leave, they were only allowed to take food, clothing, and a few personal items. The family fled, believing they had left some of their most valuable possessions well hidden. With the unimaginable treasures in hand, the trio began to discuss how to get items home. They could not simply take them home with them, it would be too obvious and the risk of getting caught was too likely. They took many of the stones out of their settings and sold the gold, silver, and platinum settings here and there.
By November 1945, Nash was running a successful officer’s club, and had begun to hear rumors about buried treasure. Her assistant informed her that a German mentioned he knew where valuables were buried. Curiosity got the better of them, and Nash allowed her assistant to search the castle.
She was convinced by this point that the jewels had been stolen. The Astros’ No. 29 prospect clubbed a solo homer Wednesday that Trackman measured at 481 feet in Surprise’s 5-4 win over Mesa at Surprise Stadium. The ball traveled with an exit velocity of 114 mph, too, nearly 20 mph above the hard-hit standard of 95. In the basement of Kronberg Castle, staff dug a hole in the ground, buried the box, and covered the spot with cement.
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