URGENT UPDATE: Germany has just canceled a highly controversial auction of Holocaust artifacts amidst widespread backlash from Holocaust survivors and international officials. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced the decision, confirming that he and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul agreed that the planned auction was “offensive” and needed to be halted.
The auction, scheduled for July 15, 2023, at the Felzmann Auction House in Neuss, Germany, was set to feature over 600 lots, including letters from concentration camp prisoners and other historical documents detailing the horrors of the Holocaust. These items, some containing identifiable names, sparked outrage among survivor groups, who deemed the auction a “cynical and shameless undertaking.”
Sikorski took to the X platform to express gratitude to Wadephul for promptly addressing the issue. “Such a scandal must be prevented,” he wrote. The auction house’s listing was removed from its website by mid-afternoon, just hours after complaints surfaced. Felzmann has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the cancellation.
Christoph Heubner, an executive vice president of the International Auschwitz Committee, emphasized the emotional toll this auction had on survivors. He stated, “Their history and the suffering of all those persecuted and murdered by the Nazis is being exploited for commercial gain.” He urged the auction house to show basic decency and respect for the victims’ families.
Earlier today, a group of Holocaust survivors publicly called for the cancellation of the auction, citing the distress it caused to those who endured unimaginable suffering during the Nazi regime. Heubner’s statement highlights the importance of preserving these documents as part of history rather than commodifying them.
As this story develops, many are questioning what will happen to the artifacts that were set to be auctioned. The global community is closely watching how authorities will handle such sensitive historical materials in the future.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
