The recent discovery in south-west Poland of a train that may contain gold, precious stones and other valuable property that may have been looted from Polish Jews by the Nazis during WWII has triggered a debate referring to who would have the right to legally claim the precious load.

The Polish government last week confirmed that a train full of gold and jewels has been found in the mountains, near the city of Walbrzych.

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) said the items discovered in Poland may have been stolen from Jews before they were sent to death, concentration or forced labor camps. ‘’It is essential that every measure is taken to return the property to its rightful owners or to their heirs,’’ said WJC CEO Robert Singer in a statement, calling on the Polish authorities to take ‘’appropriate action in that respect.’’

Singer added: “If no such survivors or heirs can be found, any gold or other property that is found to have belonged to Jewish families or businesses must now inure to the benefit of Polish Jewish survivors who unfortunately have never been adequately compensated by Poland for the unspeakable suffering they endured and their catastrophic economic losses in the Holocaust.”

Others think that the objects should be registered and made available to the Member States that were part of the anti-Nazi coalition, while on the other hand the Polish State has already claimed the precious load.

In view of this debate, Italian Member of the European Parliament Fulvio Martusciello asked EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini if she ‘’would intend to enforce the legitimate right of succession according to the principle that the Jewish community should be compensated for the losses of various nature as a consequence of the Holocaust.’’

‘’How would it be possible to intervene to protect the legitimate claim of the Jewish families who in all Europe did not receive a proper compensation?,’’ asked Martusciello, who chairs the European Parliament delegation for relations with Israel, in a written question to Mogherini.