Man discovered to have helped thousands of Jews escape from the Nazis

LA PAZ, Bolivia (FOX NEWS) - Out of dusty old documents found in a La Paz, Bolivia warehouse has come out the extraordinary story of Mauricio Hochschild, a German immigrant and mining tycoon who helped thousands of Jews escape from the Nazis in the late 30s.

Hailed by the local media as the "Bolivian Schindler," Hochschild left behind a trove of files and photographs that document his leading role in saving at least 9,000 lives. In many cases he paid for their travel and initial accommodations out of his own pocket.

The discovery is all the more surprising because in his time Hochschild was vilified as a ruthless tycoon.

"These papers are going to change many things of the Bolivian history; the political ramifications are yet to come," said Edgar Ramirez, the archive director of the Mining Corporation of Bolivia (Comibol). "Hochschild was the bad guy."

Click here for more from FOX News on Mauricio Hochschild's background, including his move to Bolivia way before the Holocaust back in 1921.