Nazi memorabilia

Paraphernalia and memorabilia from Nazi Germany taken as war trophies and collectibles on display in Fort Lewis Military Museum in Washington, USA: Nazi Party uniform insignia (collar patches and cap badges), party membership pin, parade belt buckle, Nuremberg Rally badges, etc.

Nazi memorabilia are items produced during the height of Nazism in Germany, particularly the years between 1933 and 1945. Nazi memorabilia includes a variety of objects and artefacts from the material culture of the Third Reich, especially those featuring Nazi symbolism or connected to Nazi propaganda, such as military and paramilitary uniforms, insignia, coins, medals, flags, daggers, guns, contemporary images and publications. During the Second World War, soldiers from opposing Allied forces often took small items from fallen enemies as war trophies. These and other items from this time period have since been acquired by museums and individual collectors.

Market[]

A SS uniform with Sicherheitsdienst badge used in German occupied Norway during World War II on display with fake "Swingtanzen verboten" sign^[1] and genuine Nazi memorabilia in the Lofoten Krigsminnemuseum, Norway.

In recent years the market for buying and selling Nazi memorabilia has increased.^[2] As veterans pass away, some families have tried to get rid of their possessions.

With the growing demands for Nazi memorabilia, many Jewish groups are disapproving the sale and purchase of Nazi products for leisure purposes. Others such as Haim Gertner, director of Israel's Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem, believe that some of the Nazi memorabilia are worth saving, claiming that anti-Semitic history shouldn't be forgotten.^[3]^[4]

As original items from the Nazi era and Second World War are sold for high prices, there is a large amount of copies, forgeries and even inauthentic objects on the market.^[2]

While some are offended by and condemn auctions, militaria shops, online stores and other businesses selling Nazi 'antiques', and find the goods and commercial trading 'tasteless' and 'hateful', others are interested in the historical background and fascinated by the distinctive design. Most of those wanting to restrict the trade of Nazi collectibles will accept donations to public museums. A minority of the private collectors are political supporters of Neo-Nazism, violent Nationalism, White Supremacy and other right-wing and hate groups.

Legal restrictions[]

Nazi decorations, medals and badges in a trade stall in the Izmaylovsky Park in Moscow, Russia, 2006. While original items from the Nazi era are sold for high prices, there is a large amount of copies and forgerieson the market.^[2]

Modern day replicas of miscellaneous Nazi badges aimed at reenactors and exhibitions, for sale at the militaria fair at the Victory Show in Cosby, Leicestershire, UK, 2015: Wehrmacht eagle-and-swastika cap badges, SS skull-and-crossbones emblems (Totenkopf), Nazi Party membership pins, etc.

The sale of Nazi memorabilia is strictly prohibited in parts of Europe. In France, the Internet portal site Yahoo! was sued in the case LICRA v. Yahoo! (2000) by the Union of Jewish Students and the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism for "justifying war crimes and crimes against humanity" by allowing such memorabilia to be sold via its auction pages.^[5] Yahoo!'s response was to ban the sale of Nazi memorabilia through its website. A Paris court cleared Yahoo! in 2003.

Fearing similar litigation, auction website eBay enacted new guidelines regarding the sale of Nazi memorabilia in 2003. eBay's policies prohibit items relating to Nazi media propaganda, items made after 1933 that contains a swastika, Nazi reproduction items such as uniforms, and all Holocaust-related products. Memorabilia such as coins, stamps, or printed period literature such as magazines, books, or pamphlets are not prohibited.^[6]