I don’t get the allure of Nazi memorabilia. Hitler and his SS forces were some of the most vilest people on the face of the earth. So why would anyone want to even touch the evil things that passed through their hands?
That why I’m always amazed when one of my favorite auction houses sells Nazi memorabilia – which it did a week ago during what it called a “Militaria Auction.” It has also baffled me because the auction house is owned by a Jewish couple.
Collecting Nazi memorabilia is apparently a worldwide phenomenon and quite profitable. You can find and buy just about anything Nazi on the web, and there are tons of sites selling the stuff, most of it brought back home by soldiers as souvenirs after World War II. Check out this recent BBC World Service audio report on the trade in Nazi memorabilia.
We know why Neo-Nazis buy it. The other buyers, according to one large dealer in Great Britain, are ordinary people who are history buffs with an interest in World War II. Some of these collectors also include Jews (The son of an Auchswitz survivor recently bought the “angel of death” Josef Mengele’s unpublished diary and plans to donate it to a museum). They see it as a way of documenting and preserving history.
I guess they are not much different from black people who collect the worst images of black Americana – the overweight Aunt Jemimas, the little black kids with watermelons and oversized red lips. I don’t collect the stuff, but I don’t begrudge people who do. Some say that they do it to keep it out of circulation and to make sure we don’t forget.
But there’s an inherent evil in the Nazi artifacts, though, just as in Klan paraphernalia. Back in February, an auction house in York, Pa., (once a breeding ground for Klan activity) was selling Nazi medals and daggers, and Klan robes. The auction house expected the robes to be purchased by collectors or dealers; those who were considering buying were thinking re-sale. Another collector talked about them being “a piece of history.”
I cannot imagine having that “piece of history” in my house; it’s too laden with hatred, violence and insanity. That’s the type of evidence of the past that museums are built for.
At the auction I attended last week, about 25 or so people had settled into chairs in one of the rooms to bid on the Nazi items and other military merchandise, including guns, war books, Civil War letters and prints, awards and pins, knives and swords.
When one group of Nazi items came up, I took a seat and observed. I wanted to see how the auctioneer, the Jewish owner of the auction house, reacted to the pieces. Would he shudder when he said the word “Nazi?” Would he ignore the word altogether and just say “German”? He said both. His tone was so indifferent that he could’ve been selling anything.
Bids were also taken over the internet. On the whole, the Nazi items did not command much money. Here’s a sampling:
German Nazi Flag Topper $40
German Nazi Grave Marker $50
German Medal Lot $25
Lot of Hitler Youth Patches $35
German 1939 Olympic Pins $80 (only one bid)
(The description said 1939, the pin was engraved with 1936.
That was the year Jesse Owens won four gold
medals.)
Lot of German Nazi Pins $180 (online bidder)
(Hitler Youth athletic pin, First Class Brigade
pin, Hitler Youth marksmanship pin and others)
German Sleeve Shield and Dog Tag $120
German Nazi SS Death’s Head Dog Tag 1939 $170 (online bidder)
German Horseman’s Pins (Rare, the auctioneer said) $15 (Apparently not rare enough)
German K-98 Mauser Sporter Rifle SER#9327 $110
(Redfield sight, sport stock. Nazi Proof markings. Top
of receiver marked CE)
The most expensive Nazi item sold while I was in the room was another “rare” item: a German Nazi P-38 Pistol. The description said it was “90% original bluing, very good condition, nazi proof marks, slight crack on one side of grip, serial #3888a numbers matching, ac 43.” The gun sold for $425.
Nazi relics are no different from Roman relics really, The Romans enslaved Europe just has the Nazis tried too,
The black SS uniforms and silver skulls remind us of the darker side of human nature that some of us are drawn too like moths to a naked flame,
We know its wrong to admire such things but we cant help ourselves, the Nazis were masters of manupilation after all!
It seems that people will COLLECT almost anything, and Nazi items are no exception…
You’re certainly right, Mike. Based on what I see at auction, people do collect just about everything.
The Iron Cross on the right is not authentic, otherwise it would go for at least 100$.
I dont really collect memorbelia, but enjoy reading of ww2 germany. My intrest is not supportive of thier polices but rather how such a person came to posess so much power. The more i read of more current revelings, i find many had no choice. Many did noy know of what was going on in the whole scope of things. Many things were kept from people. A very few vile indivuals seem to run everything, others had to follow or wre enemies themselves. A recent thing came to light to me in learning about my wifes grandfather. Upon the passing of his wife, we found KKK robes, papers, id cards and such. He worked for a southern mill. If one did not join, then they were ostriced. Neighors and coworkers would not associate with them. He had no hatred, but just was like a sheep and went along with things. A lot of germans were this way also. In talking to a few greman veterans i have met, this is a simalr story. A lot of hatred and mistrust was within the german ranks. The night of the long knives showed this and what can happen if you are not in the mold so to say. Just a sad lesson in history. This is my opinion and observation and not being supportive of evil and racism.
This is a sticky topic. I agree with you that it’s distasteful to celebrate the Nazis by collecting their uniforms, knives, etc. But, as an American Civil War buff, I imagine that some people feel the same about my hobby. I mean, I collect anything related to the civil war, so that means I have a fair amount of confederate militaria. I’m not trying to associate the confederate army to the nazis, but just point out that some people probably feel it’s in bad taste to collect these items.
Hi. You’re right, some people would think that collecting Civil War artifacts is in bad taste. But regardless of how you feel about the war, it was still a war. I obviously do not agree with the South’s reasons for fighting the war, but it was a war fought by two groups of soldiers similarly equipped. The Nazis’ “war” against the Jews was the extermination of a group of innocent people who could not defend themselves. I think that distinction is what makes the collecting of Confederate artifacts a little different – unless it’s being collected by someone who glorifies what the Confederacy stood for. And unfortunately, there are some folks who do. There were some Civil War books and a few other items at the sale featuring the Nazi memorabilia. Interestingly, though, I don’t come across much Confederate or Civil War items at the auctions I attend. I guess I’m too far north.