The Neuss-based Felzmann auction house withdrew a planned sale of Holocaust‑era documents on November 17 after criticism, admitting it made a wrongful decision.
Felzmann Issues Statement
In a letter to the newspaper Fakt, the Felzmann auction house said an auction of “letters, envelopes, postcards, and documents from the Nazi terror era” was scheduled in Neuss but was cancelled amid criticism. The house acknowledged it had made a mistake in deciding to put the items up for sale and expressed regret for any hurt caused to grieving families and those affected by Nazi atrocities.
Provenance of Items
The auction house stated that a significant portion of the documents and objects had been donated by descendants of the victims. The remaining items were part of a private research collection that was due to be sold. It noted that, to the best of its knowledge, all items in the collection were legally acquired from the open market.
It also clarified that the decision to list the items was not made solely by the house and that it sees no injustice in people choosing to sell rather than donate. The house claims that public auctions provide transparency about who will acquire the items and that its client base includes memory sites and museums.
German Officials Seek Donation
The government office of North Rhine‑Westphalia has told Polish Radio that its authorities are urging the Felzmann auction house to provide the documents to institutions that study history. Local Minister Nathanael Liminski said he hopes to find a solution that addresses the concerns of both Polish parties and the Jewish community. The Auschwitz Museum is also looking forward to receiving material related to the former German concentration camp.
Polish and Jewish Groups Protest
The auction, scheduled for Monday 17 November at 13:00, was cancelled at the last minute. Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the building, demanding that the documents, medical and official letters, and items related to prisoners of German concentration camps be handed over. The opposition to the auction included Polish authorities, the International Auschwitz Committee, the German Friedrich Bauer Institute, and other institutions.
Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage Marta Cienkowska said, “It’s an issue of ethics. If it turns out the items are authentic, we simply recover them.”