Nazi Relics: Personal items of Nazi leaders - Discoveries, collectibles and auctions.
Latest WWII news. See also: Third Reich, Watches Hitler gave to top nazis, Relic hunters, WW2, Nazi Memorabilia, Mein kampf, Hitler Photographs, Nazi Daggers.
Adolf Hitler voting slip from the 1932 German election for sale
A voting slip from the 1932 German election with a cross by Adolf Hitler's name will be auctioned off by Mullock's auction house in Ludlow on May 27. Hitler went from a hopeful candidate to democratically elected politician and German Chancellor within the 12 months. This card is from one of a series of elections that took place, and it lists under Hitler's name those of his closest henchmen, including Hermann Goring, Joseph Goebbels and Rudolf Hess. The constituency is Hessen Nassau, and the party is listed as "Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei" – the Nazi party. (telegraph.co.uk)
Hitler's 1931 letter hoping for `cordial relationship` with Britain for sale
A letter written by Adolf Hitler in 1931 hoping for a "truly cordial relationship" between Britain and Germany is for sale. Hitler penned the letter, in German, to British journalist Sefton Delmer 16 months before he became Chancellor and got hold of power in 1933. "I hope... that out of this crisis a new readiness will grow up in Britain... I should be happy, if... the unhappy war-psychosis could be overcome on such a scale as to permit the realisation of the truly cordial relationship..." In 1933, Delmer had his greatest scoop when he walked through the burn Reichstag building at Hitler's side. (telegraph.co.uk)
Grandson of Rudolf Hoess tries to sell SS memorabilia to Yad Vashem
The offices of Yad Vashem got an infuriating proposal. The grandson of Rudolf Hoess, the commander of the Auschwitz death camp, offered to sell some of his grandfather's personal items. The letter to the museum, entitled "Rare objects, Auschwitz, Commander Hoess," was short: "These are several objects from the estate of Rudolf Hoess, the commander of Auschwitz: A massive, fireproof box with official insignia – a gift from Henrich Himmler, the commander of the SS... slides from Auschwitz that have never been seen publicly, letters from his period of imprisonment in Krakow. I would be very grateful for a brief answer. Sincerely, Reiner Hoess." (thebulletin.us)
Adolf Hitler items (from Hitler's wardrobe and Berghof retreat) to be sold at auction
Alexander Autographs is planning the biggest Adolf Hitler and Nazi militaria sale in decades. There will be the usual photographs and papers signed by the leader of Third Reich. But the sale also includes memorabilia item from Hitler's wardrobe and Berghof retreat, most from the Lattimer collection. On the list: Hitler's matchbox cover; his silverware; the key to his "Eagle's Nest" office; his tea cup; and his Treffen-Westfalen S.A. badge (located next to the Iron Cross on his uniform); Eva Braun's gold locket and powder compact (each stamped with the "EB" butterfly monogram designed by Nazi architect Albert Speer). (usnews.com)
Antiques dealer ponders if a rare clock is Adolf Hitler's timepiece?
A gilded bronze clock which could have ticked away the last hours of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime has re-emerged in an antiques shop in Dereham. The elaborate timepiece, a British soldier's memento of victory in World War II, is one of many historical collectables brought to the shop recently opened by Michael Fanthorpe. The clock belonged to a soldier dispatched to the Nazi dictator's bunker after the fall of Third Reich in 1945, whose wife refused to show it and chose to sell it after her husband's death. The clock is made in 1935 and topped with a bronze German eagle. The antiques dealer is waiting for proof before offering it for sale. (edp24.co.uk)
David Irving sells Nazi memorabilia online, including Hitler's hair and bones
David Irving has set up a website selling Nazi militaria which includes a piece of Adolf Hitler's bone and his hair ($180,000). Dubbed 'Naz-eBay' by some, the site also offers a walking stick used by the Nazi dictator and a baptising present given by SS leader Heinrich Himmler to Hermann Goering's daughter. Irving authenticates the Nazi relics and displays them on his website, taking a 15% commission. He is currently checking the bones of Hitler and Eva Braun for an American seller, who claims they were bought from a KGB agent in the 1980s. Dr Shimon Samuels, of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, called for a UK ban on the selling of Third Reich memorabilia. (dailymail.co.uk)
Nazi sticker book, with photographs of Adolf Hitler skiing, up for auction
A 'Panini' style Nazi sticker album full of positive photos of Adolf Hitler - to be collected by Nazi Youth - is being auctioned off. The images from 1930s Nazi Germany portray the Nazi leader in both a powerful and caring light. The full album, with an introduction from Joseph Goebbels, is made up of 138 pictures and has a cover inscribed with the words "Adolph Hitler" in gothic type-face. Included are pics of the smiling Fuhrer with Goebbels' young daughter Helga, Hitler skiing, reading a paper and engaging in other daily activities. But he is also pictured with Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering and Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini. (telegraph.co.uk)
1943 military document, signed by Adolf Hitler, for sale at auction
Military Document Signed, "Adolph Hitler" as Fuehrer, February 15, 1943, Fuehrer's Headquarters, 11.75" x 8.25", Choice near Mint condition. A huge, 49-page document recording the changes in rank of hundreds of Wehrmacht officers. Hitler signs on the final page to the right of the embossed seal displaying the German Eagle holding a swastika within a wreath. By 1943, Hitler's campaign against the Soviet Union was crumbling and he was furious. The Germans suffered huge losses and this document was either an effort to fill holes in his military or to replace officers Hitler thought were incompetent. This item is sure to excite the collector of Nazi memorabilia. (liveauctioneers.com)
Gold Adolf Hitler bookmark, stolen from an auction-house in Madrid, recovered
Authorities have recovered a stolen gold bookmark that was given to Adolf Hitler by his mistress Eva Braun. Christian Popescu was caught trying to sell the bookmark to an undercover agent for $100,000 in Seattle. It's one of the items taken in an auction-house burglary in Madrid 6 years ago. The bookmark (its authenticity is questioned) is inscribed with a portrait of Hitler as well as an imperial eagle and swastika. Eva Braun gave it to Hitler to console him after the Stalingrad. "My Adolf, don't worry, only an inconvenience that will not break your certainty of victory. My love for you will be eternal, as our Reich will be eternal. Always yours, Eva. 3-2-43." (seattletimes)
Adolf Hitler's desk set, used in Munich Pact, to be auctioned Sept. 30
Military buffs will have a chance to buy a piece of history previously held by only two owners: a U.S. Army World War II veteran, and before him Adolf Hitler. Führer's personal cast-bronze desk set, with the initials "A.H." and Nazi Eagle insignia in raised relief, will be sold by at www.munipact.com on Sept. 30, 2008. The desk set has been authenticated, and include full provenance records. At war's end First Lieutenant Jack McConn in the U.S. Army 179th Infantry found the desk set in the basement of Hitler's Munich headquarters. Photos of the desk set, video interviews with McConn, footage from the Munich Pact signing showing the desk set can be found on the site. (marketwatch.com)
Adolf Hitler ballot paper from 1933 German election goes up for auction
A ballot paper from the 1933 election that brought Adolf Hitler to power is to be auctioned. Richard Westwood-Brookes, from Mullock's Auctioneers, said that the ballot with a vote for the Nazi Party, was a document that had doomed the world to war. "Many people do not realise that Hitler did not come to power via a military takeover. He was democratically elected Chancellor of Germany." The paper, to be sold on June 25 at an auction of historical documents at Ludlow Racecourse, has the name of Hitler with those of Rudolf Hess and Hermann Goering - and of Nazi Party leaders whom Hitler later murdered. (timesonline)
Grabbing a metal swastika medallion from one of Hitler's cars as souvenir
In April 1945, Screaming Eagles paratrooper William Beckett landed in Berchtesgaden, where Adolf Hitler's mountain home, the Berghof, was located. After the Army had secured the city, he saw an empty vehicle with the Swastika medallion mounted atop a 15-inch antenna. On its face was a black swastika. Not realizing the historic nature of the medallion, he took it as a WW2 keepsake. "We had quite a few souvenirs from what the Nazis had left behind, such as pistols and rifles. I still have some belt buckles." Years later, while browsing an armed forces magazine, he realized who the owner of the car was. (morningjournal)
Adolf Hitler's bronze desk set for sale - Used in 1938 Munich Agreement
It was 1945 and American troops had just taken over Munich. "My C.O. said: 'I want you to take your platoon and guard the feuerbau, Hitler's headquarters,'" recalls Jack McConn, who bunked two doors down from Hitler's second-floor office, but it was the basement that held the treasures: A bronze desk set, with Hitler's initials, and an eagle on a swastika. "I took the desk set... and mailed it to my dad... i was thinking it was a good souvenir of the war." McConn believes the desk set was used in the 1938 signing of the Munich pact: "I was watching a news reel... and they were using that desk set." (abclocal)
Items of Adolf Hitler, Eva Braun for sale - Collection of a Spitfire pilot
Artifacts once owned by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and his mistress Eva Braun are being auctioned as part of a private treaty sale at Eleys Auctions. The collection includes 3 large silver trays which were part of a state German silver dinner service presented to Hitler on his 50th birthday in 1939, glass which formed dressing table items belonging to Eva Braun and a clock from one of Hitler`s personal cars. "This has absolutely nothing to do with the Holocaust, they are genuine antiques which happened to belong to people who were infamous," said Phillip Knapper. The collection comes from a WW2 Spitfire pilot who collects antiques. (bostonstandard)
Adolf Hitler's globe from Eagle's Nest fetches £50,000
A globe that once belonged to Adolf Hitler has sold at auction for £50,000 - Over 5 times its estimate. American soldier John Barsamian found the globe among the ruins of Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" in the Bavarian Alps in May 1945 - Other soldiers had already looted the inside of his private residence, even stripping the leather from furniture. He took it home and kept it for 60 years, along with all the military paperwork that allowed him to take the globe to the U.S. (dailymail)
Signed Mein Kampf, Nazi bravery award Knight's Cross in auction
A signed copy of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf and a rare Nazi bravery award are expected to fetch thousands at an auction in Brisbane. The 1935 copy of Mein Kampf (My Struggle), signed by Hitler, is expected to fetch over $2500 at the Brisbane Legacy Military Memorabilia Auction. However, the auction's showpiece is the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves and Swords, one of Nazi Germany's highest military honours. It was awarded to only 159 recipients during World War II and could fetch up to $20,000. Both were among a number of items donated by the family of German militaria collector Howard Bergin. (heraldsun)
A souvenir of 1945 reveals Adolf Hitler's 'mail order' art looting
An American soldier stationed at Adolf Hitler's Bavarian mountain hideway Berghof at the end of world war 2 looked around for a souvenir. His choice was unveiled in Washington: two brown leather-bound albums that could provide new clues to Nazi-looted treasures.
The two albums contain pictures of art treasures stolen after the invasion of France in 1940 and sent to Hitler and Hermann Goering to help them make selections for their collections. "In their leisure time they flipped through them like mail order catalogues," said Robert Edsel. Hitler had planned to establish the world's greatest exhibition the Führer Museum in his hometown Linz. (guardian)
Proof that recovered artifacts of Hitler are genuine, and from Berghof
Salt Lake County investigators say they`ve received documentation showing that the collection of Adolf Hitler artifacts are genuine - and that they were legitimately given to a Utah soldier. Each piece is described in the 3rd Infantry Division's inventory that authorizes the soldier to take them with his gear. The as yet unnamed soldier found the artifacts in the ruins of the Berghof - part of Hitler`s mountain retreat in Bavaria. On top of that mountain was the Eagle`s Nest. The veteran has died, but his son told that family expects to take back the collection and is debating what will be done with it. (abc4)
More nazi items turn up: Swastika-decorated vase, gift to Adolf Hitler
A vase that was a gift to Adolf Hitler was turned over to investigators, who are rounding up a collection of Nazi artifacts stolen from a Utah storage unit. Three items were earlier confiscated from an antiques dealer, approached by a man who wanted to sell them. The items were taken from Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" (Berghof) mountain home by an American soldier. The soldier's son later found the collection and put it in storage. The vase was recovered a few hours after other pieces were unveiled. A bronze bust of Hitler is still missing. The vase - dated 1933 - is decorated with swastikas and accolades to Hitler, e.g. "for the chancellor." (iht)
Adolf Hitler artifacts from Eagle's Nest recovered in US storage unit
Salt Lake County: Detectives recovered Nazi artifacts that somehow moved from Hitler's mountain stronghold to a Utah storage unit where they were stolen 2 years ago. The documents, addressed to Adolf Hitler, were obtained from an antiques dealer who had been approached by somebody who wanted to sell them. The items are believed to have come from "Eagle's Nest" (Berghof) and brought home by an American soldier after WWII. One piece is a handbound history of Henry the Lion, the 12th century duke of Bavaria and Saxony and founder of Munich. The scroll, kept in a metal cylinder and a leather-bound box embossed with the Nazi eagle, is addressed to Hitler and dated 1933. (iht)
Soldier who looted Hitler's Globe from Eagle's Nest puts it on sale
Days after the end of WWII, American soldier John Barsamian entering the Adolf Hitler's stronghold found that Allied bombing had left the "Eagle's Nest" in ruins. Other soldiers had looted the residence, even stripping the leather from furniture. Nearly everything was gone except for the Fuhrer's globe. Now he is putting the nazi relic up for auction, along with all the military paperwork (like a certificate: "1 Global Map, German, Hitler's Eagle Nest") that allowed him to bring it back to the U.S. with other war memorabilia like a pistol and a dagger. Other items up for auction include rare documents signed by Hitler, and a box of Hermann Goering's cigars. (abcnews)
Lakewood evidence room: Hitler's dinnerware looted from Eagle's Nest
For 21 years Bob Huestis has overseen 68,000 items of the Lakewood Police Department's evidence room. 6-7 years ago he came into contact with the strangest items: Hitler's pewter, engraved silverware. A blind widower hired a handyman, who stealed items from her house. In the back of her closet was a box of items her husband brought back from World War II. Her husband drove General George Patton around, and he was present in 1945 after allied forces raided Hitler's mountain stronghold, the Eagle's Nest. After Patton and others ransacked Hitler's belongings, the husband brought back dinnerware and linens, marked with the swastika and the initials "A.H." (milehighnews)
Hitler's champagne from the ruins of Reich Chancellery sold for £1,688
A bottle of champagne reputed to have come from Adolf Hitler's personal wine cellar fetched nearly £2,000 at auction. The bottle of 1937 Moet and Chandon was apparently taken by an allied soldier from the ruins of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin after the Nazis were defeated in May 1945. The British soldier returned with the souvenir to the UK and kept it with him until it was handed over to a solicitor as a thank you gift. The bottle was expected to fetch £500 but interest from bidders across Europe pushed up the cost. In the end, the bottle was snapped up by a Swedish buyer for £1,688. (telegraph.co.uk)
Hitler's personal music collection surprising, found from Moscow attic
It's no surprise that music from Adolf Hitler favorite composers such as Richard Wagner would turn up in the Nazi leader's personal record collection. Yet a Moscow attic of Lew Besymenski, a captain in Russia's military intelligence unit, has yielded a complex picture of the Führer's musical taste. Nearly 100 records suggest Hitler also listened to Russian and Jewish musicians declared "subhuman" by the Nazis. In 1945 Besymenski went to the captured Reich Chancellery in Berlin. The HQ of the Nazi party were located near the underground bunker where Hitler committed suicide. Besymenski's comrades took silverware engraved with Hitler's initials with them as souvenirs. (dw-world)
Bottle of champagne taken from Adolf Hitler's cellar to be auctioned
A bottle of 1937 Moet and Chandon champagne believed to have been taken from dictator Adolf Hitler's wine cellar by an allied soldier is to go under the hammer. It is believed to be from Hitler`s personal stock and was handed over to Nigel Wilson as a thank you gift. "He had it given to him by a soldier who, as far as we can work out, retrieved it from the ruins of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin after the Nazis were defeated in May 1945. They made their way in to the Chancellery, the Russians had been there first, there was a lot of looting and the soldier and members of his unit took themselves a little souvenir." (newser.com)
A rare collection of Nazi memorabilia, like items of Eva Braun
A rare collection of Nazi militaria, like personal items from Adolf Hitler's mistress Eva Braun, went under the hammer in Adelaide at the Megaw and Hogg Auction Rooms. Among treasures sold was a personal signed letter of Eva Braun, which was taken by an American serviceman after the Second World War ended in 1945. It was sold for $1400. Craig Orchard bought 4 of the 5 Eva Braun items: "I just thought they were incredibly undervalued for a piece of history." Letters signed by German SS chief Heinrich Himmler about the defection of New Zealander Ray Nicholas Courlander to Nazi Germany sold for $800. (adelaidenow)
Memorabilia exhibition: Hitler's pocket diary, Eva Braun's nightdress
7th Baronet Sir Reresby Sitwell has just opened a bizarre exhibition of wartime memorabilia at Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire. Among the highlights are Field Marshal Montgomery's pyjamas, Goering's cufflinks, Mussolini's cigarette case, Adolf Hitler's pocket diary and various extracts from the boudoir of his mistress Eva Braun, including nightdress embroidered with tiny Nazi swastikas. Then I realised that all this is in keeping with a long tradition. "I can't remember how those got there, but that is where they live," Sir Reresby tells me as I walk through the front door and see a life-size medieval warrior brandishing a spear. (dailymail)
Set of German dishes that Hitler gave to a top Nazi military official (Article no longer available from the original source)
Among the oddest parts of the vast collection of antiques owned by W.A. Criswell and his wife, was a set of German dishes that Adolf Hitler purportedly gave to a top Nazi military official. They travelled to Munich soon after World War II and ended up having dinner at the home of an antiques dealer. He noticed a spectacular Meissen tureen, and the dealer showed him the rest of the set and told him Hitler had it made by the Meissen factory for a "von Blomberg" who was "head of armies." The Nazi Army was indeed led by Werner von Blomberg, who served as Hitler's minister of war, commander-in-chief and field marshal before losing out in a 1938 internal power struggle. (-)
An American selling a collection of Adolf Hitler memorabilia
An American has decided to sell a collection of Adolf Hitler memorabilia, including a watch the Nazi leader presented to the architect Albert Speer. The items include: a gold and enamel pocket watch presented by Hitler to Speer who later became German minister of armaments, a large silver tea tray presented to Hitler on his 50th birthday; in the center are his initials surmounted by the German nazi eagle, a map of Poland produced by British and American authorities for the Nuremberg. Buyers of Hitler relics and items are usually private collectors of military memorabilia or World War II enthusiasts. (hnn.us)
Collector sells desk and chair of Nazi Leader Adolf Hitler
A desk and chair which belonged to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler are expected to sell for up to $1 million, a dealer said. Minas Katchadorian said the oak pieces came from Hitler's luxury apartment in Munich, bought for him by a wealthy admirer, commissioned by Elsa Bruckmann. The desk and chair are being sold privately by an American collector who does not want his identity to be revealed. It is believed the collector acquired them in the 1970s, when the U.S. held a sale of wartime collectibles. They were delivered to Hitler's apartment in Munich's Prinzregentenplatz in November 1929. (voanews)
A book from Adolf Hitler`s library shelves is up for sale
After a tour that`s taken over 60 years, a rare book from Hitler`s library shelves is up for sale in Angus. The Feuhrer`s fondness for the musical accomplishments of a fellow countryman was discovered by a RNVR (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) lieutenant in November 1945, when he "liberated" the copy of the Life of Mozart from Adolf Hitler`s yacht. Bearing the blue Kriegsmarine Commando circular stamp and inscribed by the seaman who captured the wartime souvenir. (eveningtelegraph)
The globe Adolf Hitler gazed highlights new exhibit (Article no longer available from the original source)
The globe Adolf Hitler gazed upon while contemplating world domination is in good condition but for one blemish — the bullet hole directly through Berlin, inflicted by a Soviet soldier after the Nazi dictator's defeat in 1945. The oversized orb is just one highlight of the more than 8,000 artifacts in the German Historical Museum's permanent display on the country's 2,000-year history, which seeks to help Germans rediscover their identity. With World War II still in living memory, many Germans have shunned the study of their own past. The 12 years the Nazis were in power makes up one of the largest sections of the exhibit. (ap)
8000 items memorabilia collection: piece of Hitler's Berghof patio (Article no longer available from the original source)
Rees often is asked why he collects memories of war. The answer can be found on his basement door, which opens into the "Eagle's Nest," a private museum of WW2 militaria. The poster on the door reads: "Behold the work of the old, Let your heritage not be lost; But bequeath it as a memory, treasure and blessing, Gather the lost and hidden, And preserve it for thy children." He has more than 8,000 pieces — from posters and uniforms to airplane cockpits and fully functioning vehicles. Smithsonian Officials have called it one of the finest private WWII collections. In one corner is the bullet-riddled vertical stabilizer of a WW2 Luftwaffe Messerschmitt BF-110C. (suburbanchicagonews)
Gun Adolf Hitler may have owned fetches $140,000
With a link to Adolf Hitler driving up the price, a WWII-era gun with the initials A.H. sold for $140,025 in an online auction. Bidding stalled for days at $13,000 before rising (60 bids) as deadline loomed. Randall Gibson, author of "The Krieghoff Parabellum," a reference book on the gunmaker, has said he believes Hitler did own the gun. He said the company gave engraved guns to Hitler and other Nazi officials. There's no official proof the gun was Hitler's, but a family has tried to document how it made its journey to the U.S. after being seized from one of Hitler's palaces. A man from the 506th parachute regiment supposedly sold the gun to an Army lieutenant. (latimes.com)
12in Silver cup - The Nazi war relic is locked in a vault
A valuable chalice once owned by one of Hitler's henchmen is hidden in a safe in Scotland. The Nazi war relic is locked in a vault at the Royal Bank of Scotland's HQ in Edinburgh. The antique's owner, Derick Smith, was given the chalice by a British soldier who found it in Hermann Goering's home after WWII. Now he is planning to sell the relic - which experts believe could fetch £2million - if he can find a buyer. (DailyRecord)
Nazi Documents, Medal belonged to Adolf Hitler Stolen From Moscow Exhibition (Article no longer available from the original source)
Valuable exhibits, including soldiers` papers and a military decoration that belonged to Adolf Hitler, were stolen from the Moscow-based Federal Archives that is hosting an exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of Russia`s victory over Nazi Germany. (MoscowNews)
Museum features items from Adolf Hitler's bunker (Article no longer available from the original source)
Items from Hitler's Berlin bunker including marble from his desk and carpet from the floor feature in a new exhibition. Other exhibits at The Green Howards Museum, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, include the key to the Fuhrer's office and parts of his radio. The items, taken by a soldier after the allies took Berlin in 1945, form the centrepiece of an exhibition telling how British troops fought their way across Europe to the German capital after the D-Day landings. (thisisthenortheast)
Hitler makes history at auction - Souvenired items auctioned
What's in a name? Quite a lot of cash, if the name is Adolf Hitler. Neil Duff souvenired two items from the German dictator's bomb-shattered Berlin office in 1945. One was a religious text book bearing his own "ex libris" bookplate, the other a typed thank-you card carrying his signature. A private collector bought the book for $8500. The book, God's Work and Luther's Teaching, was given to Hitler in 1933 by a Lutheran pastor who wrote a dedication. The card - its estimated price was $3000 - went for $6500. Opening the plain black book, once held in Hitler's hands, stirs emotions: wonderment that history can be so palpable, coupled with a vague revulsion. (nzherald)
See also:
Third Reich
Watches Hitler gave to top nazis
Relic hunters
WW2, Nazi Memorabilia
Mein kampf
Hitler Photographs
Nazi Daggers.