European Jewish leaders on Thursday condemned the planned sale of Nazi memorabilia, including items owned by Adolf Hitler's wife, Eva Braun, and senior Nazi leader Hermann Goering.
As Munich Auction House Hermann Historica prepares for another of what appears to be another lucrative auction of items of Nazi memorabilia - including Eva Braun’s pillow and a cigar box belonging to Goering - the European Jewish Association in Brussels, excoriated the auction, saying in a statement that it "reacted with disgust as to how such auctions are still allowed to take place."
Speaking on Thursday, EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin said in a statement, “It is disgusting, in an age when fur is banned, along with Ivory and a plethora of other items deemed cruel, that there are those who are still trading for profit in the memorabilia of the Nazis, who spilled so much blood, murdered so many."
“I simply cannot understand why, in Germany of all places such auctions are possible. Is there no shame in trading and publicizing such ‘wares’ in public? Items such as pillows and cigar boxes that have little to no historical significance other than to titillate or provide perhaps some hateful ideological comfort to those that buy them?
“These items are stained with the blood of millions. They must not be traded for profit. ‘Hitler sells’ is not an excuse."
“Banning this memorabilia from the common market and limiting sales to places of learning such as museums is our goal. It is a hard and long work in progress. But some support from government in criticizing such a disgusting trade should be the minimum starting point as we await legislation. So far, Silence.”