Anyone here know from German WWII Nazi Memoriabilia?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 4:22pm

Was going through my late grandfather's boxes and found loads of Nazi memoriabilia that he must have collected during his time in the service in Hitler's Germany.

Booklets entitled Das Deutsche Lied, all 6 volumes, which I've figured out with my slight language background to be songbooks called "The German Songs of the Movement, Solider, Celebration, etc..." I believe they're from 1942 and are Winterhilfswerk (WHW) booklets.

Also found Nazi propaganda booklets from 1939 with Hitler on the cover entitled "Der Fuhrer macht Gelchichte," as well as others called "Kampf in Holland, Frankreich.." etc.

These booklets are miniscule, 2 inches x 1.5 inches, still have strings attached to them, and are in pretty great condition.

Is anyone here a collector of this stuff, or do any of you know from this kind of thing? Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where to search for value and whatnot?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 4:26pm

I can't imagine wanting to do anything with that stuff but burn it. Any money made off it would be worthless to me, unless perhaps given to a Jewish charity.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 4:27pm

1) Search eBay, of course.

2) You might be a good candidate for Antiques Roadshow.

3) Get them appraised.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 4:37pm

Rath, I agree with you completely. Being a Jew, just looking at the swastikas and eagles on the covers make me nauseous.

Despite being vehemently opposed to Naziism, I'm a huge history buff. So finding these items were both a blessing and curse.

PS: I was rooting for Jennie Garth, too.
Updated On: 11/23/07 at 04:37 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 4:39pm

I thought Nazi memorabilia was illegal to sell on eBay.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 4:48pm

"Being a Jew, just looking at the swastikas and eagles on the covers make me nauseous."

Did you vomit during "Springtime for Hitler"?

[artscallion]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 5:04pm

There's a Wiki page that talks about the Winterhilfswerk books being thank you gifts for donors to the "charity." It says they had holes punched in them so they might be hung on christmas trees.

Much as I understand the impulse to burn it, Rath, I do think it's interesting. And a valuable tool that can be used to understand the past in hopes of a better future.
WINTERHILFSWERK

[Taka]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 5:31pm

Very eloquently put, arts. As much as I hate the Nazis, I study them so as to avoid it happening again.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 5:47pm

I can not stand behind the burning, but I wouldn't want to be make any money off the stuff.
I would be see if there a museum that would like it, if there is one I would donate it to them. We need to have these things in order to study and understand the rise of the Reich, without knowledge we are doomed to repeat history.

[Taka]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 5:54pm

Found a website that's very interested in this kinda crap: Axis History Forum. The members there aren't Nazis, but are very interested in their way of life. They can probably tell you how much it's worth.

Trust me. It isn't abnormal to be interested in Nazis according to these folks, so try your luck.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 5:56pm

I think I would need to see verification before I considered someone who "isn't a nazi, but is very interested in their way of life", certainly it is possible, but there is a very fine line there.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 6:00pm

Rath, I agree with you completely. Being a Jew, just looking at the swastikas and eagles on the covers make me nauseous.

Despite being vehemently opposed to Naziism, I'm a huge history buff. So finding these items were both a blessing and curse.

PS: I was rooting for Jennie Garth, too.

Way to undercut any sense of seriousness, there Yank. I am sure Hitler would have been a HUGE Dancing With the Stars fan, if he had not shot himself in the head after murdering millions of people. I wonder who he would be rooting for? Hmmmm...

Really, why would you want to destroy this bit of history? Donate it to the Holocaust Museum if nothing else.

[Taka]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 6:07pm

One of the rules of the forum specifically forbid Jew bashing and Holocaust denial, so I would think that they wouldn't be Nazis. . .

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 6:42pm

[StageManager2]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 6:44pm

If that doesn't make Yankeefan hurl, I don't know what will.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 9:57pm

Haha.

Seeing people poke fun at it, like Springtime for Hitler, doesn't bother me as much as seeing the actual memoriabilia.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 10:03pm

I agree, call a museum and see if it is something they would want.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 10:06pm

so Rath and Yankee, you would rather advolcate what the Nazis did and say burn it? Hmmmm.

Being a Jew I want all of this saved, NOT burnt. It must never be forgotten, and burning documents that can add more knowledge is not the way to do it.

No acting like the Nazis did is not the way to go

Updated On: 11/23/07 at 10:06 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 11:46pm

Elphaba, that is an updated post? You, who goes around screaming at people for their grammar and spelling, are one of the worst offenders.

And I agree with donating the stuff to a Holocaust Museum.

[Mamamia Sammy2]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 11:48pm

Barry Brown would also agree.

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 11:55pm

"Being a Jew, just looking at the swastikas and eagles on the covers make me nauseous."

Looking at that stuff makes me sick too, Yankee. But definitely don't burn it-that's just what the holocaust deniers would like us to do! It must be preserved. I'd rather see it in a museum than something like an auction house though.

Updated On: 11/23/07 at 11:55 PM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 11/23/07 at 11:57pm

Rath you are SUCH a whiny, negative twit. What in Hell does that even have to do with the subject being discussed?
And to think that when I joined BWW that I thought you were worthy of knowing.........thank God after reading enough of your posts I realized how wrong I was......and just how trivial you are.

Do you EVER stay on track???

[onceadancer2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:06pm

Hopefully this collection is for archival purposes or a thesis. As a historian myself I find material such as this, repulsive though it may be, to be of fascination. You might find the information or call the following places. Perhaps they can point you in the right direction:

1. Library of Congress.
2. British National Library
3. Russian National Library
4. Yivo
5. Museum of Jewish Jerutage
6. Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
7. Smithsonian.

You might also want to write to the German State Library in Berlin or the Austrian State Library. There is asso a new Jewish museum in Vienna that might prove useful. You could also write to Yad Vashem in Israel.

Good luck on your expedition!

Miriam

Updated On: 11/24/07 at 01:06 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:10pm

You could also look into the Checkpoint Charlie Museum in Berlin. They would probably be very interested.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 3:47pm

I'm looking into various museums and/or other places to donate the material. It's very interesting to actually see what I learned about in Hebrew school so many years ago.

Onceadancer, I made mention in my post that I found it in my late grandfather's affects, with his other WW2 and service memoriabilia.