German Auction House Halts Sale After Widespread Condemnation
An auction of Holocaust artefacts described as "offensive" and "cynical" has been abruptly cancelled in Germany following forceful complaints from survivor groups and diplomatic intervention. The announcement came on Sunday, 16th November 2025, from Poland's foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, who confirmed the decision via the X platform.
Mr Sikorski revealed he had been in contact with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, and that the two had "agreed that such a scandal must be prevented." The Polish diplomat extended his thanks for the swift action taken to stop the sale, which was scheduled for Monday in the western German town of Neuss, near Düsseldorf.
Survivors' Group Led Charge Against 'The System of Terror'
The planned auction, provocatively titled "The System of Terror," was being organised by the German auction house Felzmann. It featured a collection of over 600 lots, a deeply personal and harrowing assemblage that included:
- Letters written by prisoners from Nazi concentration camps to their families.
- Gestapo index cards used by the secret police.
- Various other documents identifying numerous victims by name.
The International Auschwitz Committee, a Berlin-based group of survivors, had issued a powerful statement on Saturday condemning the event. Christoph Heubner, the committee's executive vice president, stated that for Holocaust survivors and victims of Nazi persecution, "this auction is a cynical and shameless undertaking that leaves them outraged and speechless."
Commercial Exploitation of Suffering Sparks Moral Outcry
The core of the opposition centred on the belief that such historically significant and deeply personal items should not be treated as commercial goods. Mr Heubner emphasised that these documents of persecution "belong to the families of the victims" and should be preserved in "museums or memorial exhibitions and not degraded to mere commodities."
He accused the auction house of exploiting the history and suffering of those persecuted and murdered by the Nazis for financial gain. By Sunday afternoon, the auction listing, which had been visible on the Auktionhaus Felzmann website in the morning, had been removed. The auction house itself did not immediately respond to numerous requests for comment via phone, email, and text message.
The cancellation marks a significant victory for Holocaust remembrance advocates, reinforcing the principle that the memory of those who suffered under the Nazi regime must be treated with dignity and respect, not put up for sale to the highest bidder.
