Glasgow auctioneers defend sale of Nazi memorabilia

Independent

12-02-2025

An auction house is defending its sale of Nazi memorabilia, including several items featuring the swastika and others linked to high-profile Nazi Hermann Göring.
Several artefacts from the Third Reich were sold on Wednesday as part of a wider auction of military items at the Glasgow auction house McTear's.
A 1933 badge featuring the swastika went under the hammer, along with a 1939 Iron Cross medal, for £300.
A Third Reich Luftwaffe dress dagger went for £220, while swastika-emblazoned Nazi bunting sold for £50.
Multiple items linked to Hermann Göring, one of the most powerful figures in Adolf Hitler's Germany, were also included in the sale.
They included two silver plates thought to be from Göring's personal train dining wagon. They sold for £500 each.
Commenting on the sale on Tuesday, a spokesperson for McTear's auctioneers said: 'As the only auctioneer in Scotland to run dedicated sales of historic militaria, McTear's has frequently consigned important artefacts from both World Wars.
'On occasion, our auctions, like many others across the world, include items related to the Third Reich, which are always handled with sensitivity.
'It is important to note that these historical artefacts provide a tangible link to an important — albeit extremely dark — era in our history that should never be forgotten.'
The sale also included an item described as a 'Third Reich North Africa propaganda one pound note' which sold for £10.
While it is not illegal to sell Nazi memorabilia in the UK, sales of such items have been controversial.
In 2019, Bloomfield Auctions in Belfast cancelled a sale of such artefacts after an outcry from Jewish leaders.
The auction house was set to auction a dinnerware set, which had an estimate of £20,000. Described on their Facebook page as 'historically rare', the tablecloth, napkins and silver cutlery set are emblazoned with swastikas.
They allegedly come from Adolf Hitler 's 50th birthday glass observation wagon on the Deutsche Reichsbahn, the Third Reich's German state railway.
Mark Gardner, from the Community Security Trust, a British charity established to ensure the safety of the Jewish community in the UK, said at the time the auctioneers were turning a profit from Nazi memorabilia.