Jewish Group Condemns Nazi Memorabilia Auction in Germany

BERLIN (AP) — A Jewish group has sharply condemned an auction of Nazi memorabilia in Germany that includes Adolf Hitler’s top hat, a silver-plated edition of his book “Mein Kampf” and a cocktail dress owned by his long-time girlfriend Eva Braun.

The European Jewish Association condemned the auction Wednesday at Hermann Historica in Munich, saying that “it’s wrong to make money off these blood-soaked items, especially in Germany of all places.”

The German news agency dpa reported that the auction house’s owner, Bernhard Pacher, rejected criticism, saying: “The majority of our customers are museums, public collections and private collectors who really deal with the topic meticulously.”

It’s not the first time Hermann Historica has been criticized for dealing with Nazi memorabilia. In 2016, it auctioned off one of Hitler’s uniforms for 275,000 euros ($304,270).