3rd Reich Relics Still Held in Germany.

[big ned]

Here's a short but interesting article about a German goverment department in the Pankow district of Berlin that still holds thousands of artefacts from the 3rd Reich era.

Some belonged personally to senior members of the party, pieces supposed to be of Goring's train set and artefacts he kept at Karinhall, whilst others are pieces of furniture and carpets etc, from party buildings like the Reichs Chancellory. But the largest amount of items are those things like art, paintings, sculpture, books, manuscripts and rare coins looted from the Jews and countries that the Nazies invaded.

This goverment department has for years been trying to reunite many of these artefacts to their rightful owners or latter day relatives, others have been given to museums, but as it says in the article, this has proved extremely difficult, and in most cases will never happen and some articles may eventually be auctioned off.

Anyway as I said, a short but interesting article, it's a shame they don't put it all on display, I for one would go to see it!

Goering

Regards, Ned.

[Adrian]

Good article Ned, thanks for posting, it would be a fascinating day out!

[KradSpam]

Methinks a job in the German civil service beckons.

[bigmacglenn]

Thanks Ned! In 1993 the Munich Stadtmuseum had an exhibition of Nazi-era memorabilia that was simply staggering...They've managed to hold on to everything from rows of Party uniforms to artwork...
The US Army also has/had a collection of Nazi-themed paintings, and periodically they would be exhibited at Army bases in the US...I understand the sensitivity, but just wish these folks wouldn't be so dramatic about these items and either display them permanently or put them on the collectibles' market...Withholding them from view just creates a mystique/aura about them, in my opinion...Here is an example of one of the items from the Munich Exhibition in '93...USM Books was selling the catalog of displayed items, hence the photo...
cheers, Glenn

[Dean]

I completely agree with you Ned and Glenn, too bad they can't get over the stigma and just see history for what it is. Here, it almost similar to the civil war history here in the states. Those museums get flack for showing slave items and such but it's history nonetheless , and this generation isn't even responsible for what happened. If anything, the German civilians suffered terribly at the hands of the Soviet invaders post war, yet they were supposed to embrace their 'liberators'? I don't know, maybe I'm just on a tangent but PC rhetoric gets to me.
Thanks for posting this , Ned.
Dean.

-Updated-

My friend saw (in the 1980's) two teen boys walking downtown Santa Cruz , one had a camo Luftwaffe paratroopers helmet on and the other was holding a "Deuschland Erwake" standard, complete with pole,etc..! My buddy was kinda puzzled and asked what was going on? They said they found the stuff in a dumpster down the street! So people still throw this stuff out in ignorance. If they really hated the stuff and history behind it, you think they would want the items to be remembered so this will never occur again!! But no, sadly.

[Glenn66]

Not only was he an overweight drug addict but a nerd too...nice work Goering!

[bigmacglenn]

Don't forget the young man who dug out the Air-raid cellar at Carinhall a few years back, and found pieces of ancient pottery that Goering had stored there...These missing shards helped complete some items already in German museums...the German gov't wanted to charge him with a crime, but in the end all he had to do was cover everything up again, lol...
cheers, Glenn

[Dean]

Not only was he an overweight drug addict but a nerd too...nice work Goering!

Yes Glenn, but the warden at Nurnberg cut Goering off of his Morphine and he lost a lot of weight ! In the end he was still a nerd, however..
There's a great movie about these times at Nurnberg and a great actor played goering. Ironically it's called, "Nurnberg ". I highly suggest it.

[Adrian]

but a nerd too...

Haha!

Spoken within a community of nerds who can spend hours discussing the various minute characteristics of hinges and catches, materials and finishing methods who know more about TR stitching techniques and uniform styles than the most qualified tailor on Saville Row, who know more about eagles John James Audubon and who spend hours making sure our particular area of nerdism is correct to the smallest detail.

Hmm.........

[StefanM]

If what BigNed writes is true "... But the largest amount of items are those things like art, paintings, sculpture, books, manuscripts and rare coins looted from the Jews and countries that the Nazies invaded." then this is a disgrace!

After 70 years this shameful plunder extracted from the exterminated Jews of Europe should have been handed back to the Jewish people decades ago! The trading of Holocaust era assets is I believe banned by International law so should never be in the collectibles' market.