August Gissler
Encyclopedia
August Gissler was a German
adventurer and treasure hunter
, who lived with short interruptions on Cocos Island
(Costa Rica
) from 1889 until 1908.
Gissler's quest was to find the Golden Madonna of the Treasure of Lima
, a solid-gold, gem-encrusted, life-size image of the Virgin Mary, allegedly buried there by the mutinying Captain Captain William Thompson in 1820. Over the years Gissler dug a complex system of underground tunnels, some of which can still be entered even today. Gissler was absolutely certain that he would find the treasure, since he had two maps from independent sources that pointed to the same place where the treasure was supposed to have been buried. In parallel, Gissler was also on the search for the treasure of the pirate Benito Bonito
.
Impressed with his organization, the Costa Rican government in 1897 allowed him to formally establish a colony and named him the only Governor of Cocos Island. The treasure hunt was mainly funded by financiers who had invested in the specially created Cocos Plantation Company. Several settler families who grew tobacco also lived with Gissler on the island. However, because of the island's harsh conditions and remote location from the Costa Rican mainland, Gissler's colony turned out to be short-lived only.
Gissler's quest for treasure was also unsuccessful: in over twenty years he never found more than six gold coins despite diligent searching. Dispirited, he eventually left the island for New York in 1908. In all, of the over 300 treasure expeditions that have come to Cocos Island over the years, none are known to have ever found any treasure.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
adventurer and treasure hunter
Treasure hunter
Treasure hunters are people who search for treasure.Treasure hunters may also refer to:* Treasure Hunters , a graphic novel* Treasure Hunters , a Hong Kong kung fu film...
, who lived with short interruptions on Cocos Island
Cocos Island
Cocos Island is an uninhabited island located off the shore of Costa Rica . It constitutes the 11th district of Puntarenas Canton of the province of Puntarenas. It is one of the National Parks of Costa Rica...
(Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
) from 1889 until 1908.
Gissler's quest was to find the Golden Madonna of the Treasure of Lima
Treasure of Lima
The Treasure of Lima is a treasure reputedly removed from Lima, Peru, in 1820 and never recovered. It is estimated to be worth up to US$60 million in today's money.-History:...
, a solid-gold, gem-encrusted, life-size image of the Virgin Mary, allegedly buried there by the mutinying Captain Captain William Thompson in 1820. Over the years Gissler dug a complex system of underground tunnels, some of which can still be entered even today. Gissler was absolutely certain that he would find the treasure, since he had two maps from independent sources that pointed to the same place where the treasure was supposed to have been buried. In parallel, Gissler was also on the search for the treasure of the pirate Benito Bonito
Benito Bonito
Benito "Bloody Sword" Bonito is the subject of a legend about a pirate who raided the west coast of the Americas. His career began around 1818 but from there on sources differ. According to one legend his ship was boarded by a British man-o'-war after Bonito exited Port Phillip Bay after hiding...
.
Impressed with his organization, the Costa Rican government in 1897 allowed him to formally establish a colony and named him the only Governor of Cocos Island. The treasure hunt was mainly funded by financiers who had invested in the specially created Cocos Plantation Company. Several settler families who grew tobacco also lived with Gissler on the island. However, because of the island's harsh conditions and remote location from the Costa Rican mainland, Gissler's colony turned out to be short-lived only.
Gissler's quest for treasure was also unsuccessful: in over twenty years he never found more than six gold coins despite diligent searching. Dispirited, he eventually left the island for New York in 1908. In all, of the over 300 treasure expeditions that have come to Cocos Island over the years, none are known to have ever found any treasure.