Nazi auction items 'dripping with the blood of six million Jews'

Photo: Maynard's Auction

“Dripping with the blood of six million Jews,” is how a member of Richmond’s Jewish community describes Nazi memorabilia up for auction on Saturday.

The items should not be sold for profit, Michael Sachs, past-president of Bayit Synagogue in Richmond, says. Rather they belong in a museum or educational institute where they can be displayed with the right context.

The “Firearms & Militaria Auction” at Maynards in Richmond includes a large collection of guns and military paraphernalia from around the world.

The online catalogue shows several items from Nazi Germany, including a German Luftwaffe officer’s dagger, a German fireman’s helmet, and swastika flag.

Hugh Bulmer, vice-president with Maynards, says history can’t be swept under the rug and the stories around these items need to be kept alive.

“It’s part of history,” he said.

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie called the auction “inappropriate," and Richmond-Queensborough MLA Jas Johal asked Maynards on Facebook to remove the Nazi material from the auction.