UK: Gold coins return to Jewish family

Treasure worth over $132,000, discovered in London backyard to be returned to Israeli descendents of Jew who fled Nazi Germany 70 years ago

Yoav Zitun|Published: 04.26.11 , 13:39

Jars containing gold coins belonging to Jews who fled Nazi Germany were uncovered in a backyard in northeast London and will be returned to the family's descendents after 70 years.

A British court ruled last week that the 80 gold coins, worth over £80,000 ($132,152), will be returned to their original owners – descendents of Martin Sulzbacher living in Israel. The treasure was discovered by a British man as he was digging in his backyard in an attempt to build a pool.

Martin Sulzbacher. Hid the gold

Almost 70 years have past since Martin Sulzbacher fled Nazi Germany with his family and arrived in London. "My grandfather had two gold coin jars imprinted with the double eagle. According to appraisals they were created mid 19th century," Ilan Geal-Dor, Director of the Jerusalem Gesher Center and Martin's grandson, told Ynet.

"Prior to the war, he and his relatives fled Germany and settled in London, but because he was German he was exiled to Australia. Before boarding the ship he decided to deposit both jars in a London bank, but his brother and brother-in-law feared the Germans might invade and nationalize British bank assets. So eventually they chose to bury the jars in the backyard," Geal-Dor explained.

The grandson said only five family members knew the exact location of the jars, "but they were killed by German bombs over London."

After the war Martin returned to London and managed to locate one of his jars. He used the money to open a book shop.

"He always told us there was another jar hidden there," said Geal-Dor. "But the house has been sold since then, passing many hands, until a few months ago a new tenant decided to build a pool in the backyard." As construction workers began to dig away they uncovered the treasure.

"The tenant realized it was a historically valuable treasure and called British Museum researchers who then discovered the coins were identical to those they had examined over 60 years ago, which were eventually passed on to my grandfather," Geal-Dor said.

He noted that the coins were exhibited in the British Museum until a London court ruled the gold belonged to our family.

Martin Sulzbacher died over 30 years ago, survived by four children, all living in Israel. "Our family has always been modest. We've decided to split the money between us and use part of it to renew the gravestones of five of our family members who died during the Holocaust and who knew where the jars were buried."