Nazi memorabilia fetches over £8,000 at Nottingham auction

Dozens of pieces of Nazi memorabilia have been sold for more than £8,000 at an auction in Nottingham. A vast collection of German military items from the Second World War went under the hammer at Arthur Johnson & Sons in Meadow Lane on Saturday, November 2.

The 39 lots, most of which were emblazoned with swastikas, included medal collections, uniform badges, pennants and an army handbook. They sold for a combined £8,835.

Richard Griza, auctioneer and senior valuer at Arthur Johnson & Sons, said the items were part of a single life-long collection which mainly consisted of British medals. "Along with British militaria there were also several German WWII medals and other artifacts that are of interest to a large collector's market for militaria from all around the world," he said.

"We do understand that some people may not agree with Third Reich militaria being sold at auction however, we as an auction house act as an intermediary to sell those items. I am of Slovak origin myself and my own family member perished during WWII fighting against Nazi Germany forces in Slovakia.

"I personally understand the consequences of Nazi atrocities committed all over Europe and beyond. I do, however, believe that all these items should be preserved for future generations as a reminder of the past."

The most expensive Nazi item was a gold close combat badge which auctioned for £1,500, while an engagement general assault badge, awarded to recognise those soldiers who had taken part in numerous attacks, fetched £600.

A collection of five Nazi medallions, including two SS Long Service Awards, sold for £300 and a flakk badge was auctioned for £260. Other notable sales include a £290 anti-aircraft badge and uniform patches worth £380.

Professor Dr. Waitman W. Beorn, an expert in Holocaust history and assistant professor at Northumbria University, said the sales might be seen by some as problematic - but pointed out it was a common occurrence. "It's certainly not something I would buy, it's not for me, but on another hand they're of great historical value," he said.

"It happens a lot. There's a brisk trade in these types of things. There's a lot of stuff you can find on eBay. On the one hand it's uncomfortable people are making money from them, on the other hand there's a lot worse things that can be sold.

Dr Beorn added: "There are people out there that want to buy Nazi stuff because of whatever reason. There are people that just collect that stuff. They might be interested in the war and the German side of things. It may be problematic but they're collectors, and they may not be collecting German items.

"If people are spending their hard-earned money on it they must have some interest. I can't comment whether that interest is above board."