After a controversial auction: Hitler's cylinder should go to Israeli Foundation

The cylinder auctioned off in Munich by Adolf Hitler comes into the hands of an Israeli foundation. Lebanese businessman Abdallah Tschatila, who lives in Switzerland, told the Swiss newspaper Le Matin Dimanche that he had bought the hat and other objects linked to Hitler so that they would not be abused for "neo-Nazi propaganda". He had contacted the Keren Hajesod Foundation and decided to send them the items. They will be exhibited in a museum in the future.

The controversial auction was held on Wednesday in Munich by the auction house Hermann Historica. Chatila acquired a total of ten items for 545,000 euros. In addition to the cylinder of the Nazi dictator (50,000 euros) are including Hitler's cigar box and typewriter and a luxury edition of "Mein Kampf", which had belonged to the Nazi-size Hermann Göring.

In the run-up, among others, the President of the European Jewish Association (EJA), Menachem Margolin, had sharply criticized the auction and even demanded the cancellation of the auction. "With some things, you just should not trade," the Rabbi had written in a letter to the auction house. Now he was "overwhelmed" by the step of the businessman.

"Do not lure cellar azzis"

At the same time, Margolin called on the federal government to control the auctioning of Nazi items more closely. Auction houses should therefore disclose who buys the objects so that the buyers could be monitored.

Again and again, auction houses are being criticized for similar auctions. In 2016, for example, a uniform jacket from Hitler went to the highest bidder in the Munich auction house for 275,000 euros. At the beginning of 2019, shortly before the auction, 63 pictures allegedly painted by Hitler were confiscated in Nuremberg because of doubts about the authenticity.

On the occasion of the current auction, Managing Director Bernhard Pacher objected to the allegations of playing the role of neo-Nazis: "By far the largest number of customers who shop with us are museums, state collections and private collectors who are really meticulous the subject, "he had said. "We do not want to lure cellar azzis."