Indiana Jones, the adventurous main character from the Hollywood film franchise, prevented the Nazis from stealing treasures and religious relics, including the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant. The films created a cultural phenomenon – but few of the millions who watched his fictional adventures would realize that the dark Nazi characters were based on real events. The special branch of the SS led by Heinrich Himmler – Das Ahnenerbe – was tasked with finding treasures, artifacts, and powerful religious relics, such as the Holy Grail, that could secure their victory in the war and prove Aryan supremacy beyond any doubt.