German Auction House Cancels Sale of Holocaust Artifacts Amid International Outcry
In a move that has sparked global outrage, Felzmann auction house in Germany had planned to auction off hundreds of items from the Holocaust period. However, following international protest, including from a group of Holocaust survivors and Poland's Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, the controversial sale was cancelled.
Context and Background
The auction, titled System of Terror Vol II
, was set to feature 623 items dating from 1933 to 1945. Notable items included letters and postcards from prisoners, a 1937 medical report on forced sterilizations from the Dachau concentration camp, and a Gestapo file on the execution of a Jewish man. Artifacts such as antisemitic propaganda posters and Star of David patches and armbands from the Buchenwald concentration camp were also listed in the catalogue.
International Reaction and Cancellation
The proposed auction received significant backlash from both individuals and groups. The International Auschwitz Committee called the event a cynical and shameless undertaking
that exploited persecution for commercial gain
. Holocaust survivors echoed these sentiments, demanding that the sale be halted.
Poland's Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, was a vocal critic of the auction. After discussing it with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, Sikorski announced on social media platform X that the sale had been cancelled. I spoke with the German Foreign Minister regarding the planned auction in Neuss of items from the time of German terror during the Second World War. We agreed that such a scandal must be prevented
, Sikorski said. He thanked Wadephul for the information that the offensive auction had been cancelled, adding that respect for victims requires the dignity of silence, not the din of commerce
.
Implications
The cancellation of the auction was hailed as a victory for Holocaust survivors and those who agreed with their call for the items to be placed in a museum. However, it also highlighted the ongoing debate about the handling and exhibition of Holocaust-related artifacts. The incident raised questions about the potentially exploitative nature of commercializing items that represented a horrific period in human history.
Current Status
The Felzmann auction house has not issued any official statement on the cancellation of the auction or the controversy surrounding it. The fate of the items that were to be auctioned remains unknown. The international community will be closely watching how this situation unfolds, and if it will lead to conversations about the ethical considerations of handling and selling items related to genocide and war crimes.