Nazi memorabilia sale ban 'should extend to UK' say ministers
Nazi memorabilia sale ban 'should extend to UK' say ministers
Sales like the $53,000 auction of a seascape painting by Adolf Hitler could be a thing of a past
Should sales of Nazi memorabilia be banned in the UK? MPs are calling on the government to ban the marketing of collectibles associated with Hitler's Third Reich.
The calls follow a recent auction of memorabilia linked to Holocaust victims.
Such sales were described by opposition party Labour MP Fabian Hamilton as "profiteering on items promoting and glorifying hatred and violence".
If the motion is passed, then the UK will join France, Germany, Austria and Hungary as countries where Nazi memorabilia sales are outlawed.
A seascape painting daubed by Adolf Hitler brought $53,000 in a Slovakian auction in January.A silver tray gifted to Hitler on his 50th birthday brought 28,000 in Bristol, UK, last week.
Hitler's moon seascape painting sold for $53,000 in January
There is another side to the debate, of course: that the hobby of collectibles should preserve - without promoting and glorifying - pieces of mankind's history, be it good or bad.
For instance, a Stalin death mask brought $8,711 at auction in January. This mask is one of just two of its kind in the West.
Elsewhere, collectibles linked to Chairman Mao, the Nagasaki and Hiroshima second world warbombings, and memorabilia linked to violent crime are all popular niches worldwide.
It will be fascinating to see which way the UK government's decision falls. We'll bring you all the latest news when it happens.
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