A German auction house has cancelled a planned sale of Nazi-era letters, postcards, and documents linked to the Holocaust after facing criticism from Auschwitz survivors. The auction, organised by Ulrich Felzmann in Neuss and scheduled for Nov 17, was to feature letters from Nazi camp prisoners to their loved ones, Gestapo files, and other documents documenting Nazi persecution from 1933 to 1945.
In a statement, the auction house said, “We are aware that we made an incorrect decision in evaluating the consignment request and regret if we have hurt the feelings of relatives and victims of Nazi terror.” The International Auschwitz Committee, representing survivors, denounced the planned sale as “a cynical and shameless undertaking” profiting from the suffering of victims.
The auction, titled The System of Terror 1933–1945, included highly personal records revealing the names of victims. The auction house said some items came from descendants of Holocaust victims, while others were sourced from private research collections legally acquired on the open market.
Previous auctions of Nazi-era artifacts have also drawn controversy. In 2016, Germany’s Central Council of Jews condemned a sale that allowed an Argentinian collector to acquire Nazi personal items. Similarly, a 2019 auction of Adolf Hitler’s personal effects prompted protests from the European Jewish Association, which warned that Nazi sympathizers were likely buyers.
