An Elmvale resident isn’t happy that a Waverley-based auction site is selling Nazi Germany memorabilia.
Midland Auctions is currently selling a World War Two era visor/cap pin adorned with an eagle and a swastika along with a set of stamps featuring Nazi Germany Führer Adolf Hitler’s image.
“No ethical business should profit off of the Holocaust,” said resident Megan Pottage. “No ethical person should casually scroll past an image of a swastika or Hitler for sale without thinking of the millions of people who were murdered, and the millions of soldiers who died fighting fascism.”
But Midland Auctions owner/operator Chris Curlette says his operation has a longstanding tradition of offering historic wartime memorabilia, including items from WWII (Canada, the USA, Japan, Germany and more), as well as pieces from the Civil War and WWI.
“Many collectors in our community are deeply committed to preserving the history associated with these items, including those from Nazi Germany, as part of an effort to understand and remember the past,” Curlette says.
“The intention behind collecting and preserving these artifacts is not to glorify or promote the harmful ideologies or actions of the past. Instead, it is to ensure that these historical lessons are not forgotten.”
Curlette says that through conversations with local collectors, it’s clear that their motivations are rooted in historical interest and preservation, not in endorsing negative sentiments.
“In today’s cultural climate, where sensitivity around such items is understandably heightened, we recognize that opinions differ widely,” he says.
“While some may find these items unsettling, they play an essential role for historians and collectors who wish to document and preserve history. Many of these collectors maintain private museums or collections, dedicating significant effort to proper preservation.”
On a personal note, Curlette notes that he does not actively collect military memorabilia outside of his own family’s wartime history, including medals and artifacts passed down from his grandfather and great-grandfather.
“My grandfather, like many soldiers, brought back wartime items as part of his service. His history as a WWII tank operator, documented at Base Borden, is a source of pride for my family and a reminder of the sacrifices made during that era,” he says.
“I believe he, like others who lived through those times, would value the preservation of these items as a way to confront and learn from history, not erase it.”
While sale of Nazi memorabilia is illegal in some counties, the same is not true in Canada.
But Pottage says that needs to change.
“Allowing artifacts of this heinous era of history to be commodified or trivialized, or coveted and glorified, should be abhorrent to our society,” she says.
Curlette says that while his auction house does not actively seek out such items, they sometimes arrive from the general public with the business coordinating sales on behalf of sellers and buyers.
“As an intermediary, our role is to provide a platform for these transactions while respecting the diverse perspectives of those in our community,” Curlette explains, pointing out that even the biggest auction house in the world (ebay) sells a wide range of Nazi Germany related items, including correspondence marked from concentration camps.
“Most auction houses do sell such items where permitted by law. In some European countries, the sale is prohibited and in Germany, the sale or possession is prohibited.”
