The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia by Michael Hughes

Author:Michael Hughes [Hughes, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Military, World War II, Europe, Germany
ISBN: 9781000531923
Google: rolSEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2022-02-09T16:18:01+00:00

Conclusion

Ever since 1945 Nazi relics have been fighting several battles, of which one has been successful: the erasure of their historical meaning. The main actors of this affront to historical context are the very people who earned the medals during the Third Reich, especially veterans of the Waffen-SS. Collectors desired to own these medals so much that they were complicit in whitewashing the Nazi past so that they could obtain them. The attention of collectors was diverted by the increasing accuracy of fakes; hence the mission of collectors’ publications was to arm collectors with sufficient knowledge to ferret them out. A weakness of some of these publications is that they presented a number of fake badges as real, further muddying the waters. As prices continue to spiral the fakes got better and better. For those who continued to collect, even more of their time was spent sorting out the good from the bad. Fakes come with the territory, and for some collectors, even contribute to the dynamism of the Nazi memorabilia hobby. Nevertheless, collectors did not set out with the intention of spending most of their time collecting Nazi memorabilia identifying fakes. Novices, unless they were lucky, got stung, subsequently bailing out or switching direction. For those who remained, not even the COVID-19 crisis could dampen their enthusiasm. Indeed, a major American-based trader claimed that 2020 was his best year for sales.6

The market in Nazi memorabilia is in danger of bursting like a balloon. It is certainly in need of some soul searching. Whether collectors and traders are willing to reassess their attachment to Nazi badges is another matter. Indeed, the collectors who were in a position to ask veterans questions were blinded by their medals rather than the agency of the decorations. The best that can be done is to unpick the past and to encourage collectors to ask new questions and challenge traders. A sea change is required.

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