Lake Toplitz
Encyclopedia
Lake Toplitz is a lake
situated in a dense mountain forest high up in the Austrian Alps, 98 km (60.9 mi) from Salzburg
in western Austria. It is surrounded by cliffs and forests in the Salzkammergut
lake district, within the Totes Gebirge
(dead mountains). The Toplitzsee water contains no oxygen below a depth of 20m. Fish can survive only in the top 18m, as the water below 20m is salty, although bacteria and worms have been found below 20m that can live without oxygen.
During 1943-44, the shore of Lake Toplitz served as a Nazi
naval testing station. Using copper diaphragms, scientists experimented with different explosives, detonating up to 4,000 kg charges at various depths. They also fired torpedoes from a launching pad in the lake into the Tote Mountains, producing vast holes in the canyon walls. Millions of counterfeit pound sterling notes (£100+ million) were dumped in the lake after Operation Bernhard
, which was never fully put into action. There is speculation that there might be other valuables to be recovered from the bottom of the Toplitzsee. The speculation is due to there being a layer of sunken logs floating half way to the bottom of the lake, making diving beyond it hazardous or impossible. Gerhard Zauner, one of the divers on the 1959 expedition reports that he saw a sunken aircraft below this layer.
The area is accessible only on foot by a mile-long path, as the K-Mautner-Weg is a private road that serves the Fisherman's Hut restaurant at the western end.
movie Goldfinger
, where Bond receives the gold bar used to tempt Auric Goldfinger
.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
situated in a dense mountain forest high up in the Austrian Alps, 98 km (60.9 mi) from Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
in western Austria. It is surrounded by cliffs and forests in the Salzkammergut
Salzkammergut
The Salzkammergut is a resort area located in Austria. It stretches from City of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria , Salzburg , and Styria . The main river of the region is the Traun, a tributary of the Danube...
lake district, within the Totes Gebirge
Totes Gebirge
The Totes Gebirge is a group of mountains in Austria, part of the Northern Limestone Alps, lying between the Salzkammergut and the Ennstaler Alpen. The name Totes Gebirge is derived from the German words tot meaning "dead", referring to the apparent lack of vegetation, and Gebirge meaning "mountain...
(dead mountains). The Toplitzsee water contains no oxygen below a depth of 20m. Fish can survive only in the top 18m, as the water below 20m is salty, although bacteria and worms have been found below 20m that can live without oxygen.
During 1943-44, the shore of Lake Toplitz served as a Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
naval testing station. Using copper diaphragms, scientists experimented with different explosives, detonating up to 4,000 kg charges at various depths. They also fired torpedoes from a launching pad in the lake into the Tote Mountains, producing vast holes in the canyon walls. Millions of counterfeit pound sterling notes (£100+ million) were dumped in the lake after Operation Bernhard
Operation Bernhard
Operation Bernhard was the codename of a secret Nazi plan devised during the Second World War by the RSHA and the SS to destabilise the British economy by flooding the country with forged Bank of England £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes...
, which was never fully put into action. There is speculation that there might be other valuables to be recovered from the bottom of the Toplitzsee. The speculation is due to there being a layer of sunken logs floating half way to the bottom of the lake, making diving beyond it hazardous or impossible. Gerhard Zauner, one of the divers on the 1959 expedition reports that he saw a sunken aircraft below this layer.
The area is accessible only on foot by a mile-long path, as the K-Mautner-Weg is a private road that serves the Fisherman's Hut restaurant at the western end.
Toplitzsee in Fiction
Lake Toplitz is mentioned in the scene in the James BondJames Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie Goldfinger
Goldfinger (film)
Goldfinger is the third spy film in the James Bond series and the third to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1964, it is based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The film also stars Honor Blackman as Bond girl Pussy Galore and Gert Fröbe as the title...
, where Bond receives the gold bar used to tempt Auric Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger
Auric Goldfinger is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. His first name, Auric, is an adjective meaning of gold...
.