An auction house in Munich, Germany, has again come under fire for selling Nazi memorabilia, this time including various speaking notes from Adolf Hitler.
The chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), Rabbi Menachem Margolin, said he couldn’t get his “head around the sheer irresponsibility and insensitivity” of selling such items to the highest bidder.
Hermann Historica was criticized in November 2019 for a similar auction. The lots ended up being bought by a Lebanese businessman, Abdallah Chatila, who then donated them to Yad Vashem to do with as they saw fit.
Following the fallout of the last auction, the EJA has been pushing European lawmakers to ban the sale of Nazi memorabilia as part of an overall plan to tackle anti-Semitism across the continent.
“It defies logic, decency and humanity for the very same auction house that came under fire less than a year ago for selling disgusting lots of Nazi memorabilia that they should do so again,” said Margolin in a statement. “What auctions like this do help legitimize Hitler enthusiasts who thrive on this sort of stuff.”
Margolin called for the auction to be stopped and for the German government to intervene.
“We also ask our supporters not to engage or participate in any way with this unethical auction,” he said. “The message must be sent that the further development of this ‘market’ is taboo and beyond the norms of acceptability.”
