Sydney auction house removes Nazi items
A SYDNEY auction house has removed a number of Nazi items from sale following a call from The AJN.
A SYDNEY auction house has removed a number of Nazi items from sale following a call from The AJN.
Bargain Hunt Auctions in Thornleigh was due to sell the items at a militaria auction tomorrow. They included badges, merit crosses and belt buckles featuring swastikas, along with matchbox holders with embossed SS-Reich logos and other disturbing Nazi paraphernalia.
But after a call from The AJN expressing the concerns of readers, the owners immediately removed the items from sale.
“We’re not here to upset anybody, it’s the last thing we want to do,” owner Veronica Owens told The AJN.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich commended the auction house for its swift action.
“This is a teachable moment about the power of public outrage, and we applaud Bargain House for choosing morality over profit and for showing sensitivity to the feelings of the survivors and victims,” Abramovich said.
“No matter how far removed historically we are from the Holocaust, everything about this repulsive trade is wrong. The tragedy at Pittsburgh, Christchurch and San Diego should prompt all of us to do some very serious soul-searching, and we call on all sellers to follow suit and to ensure that these vile objects and symbols of hate are not made available under their watch.”
He added, “Notwithstanding this decision, we still call on state and federal governments to immediately stamp out the selling of such paraphernalia.”
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