So, here is something that made me think. It's not a shocker, but stopped me for a minute.

I saw a really nice coin collector's store locally, full of shiny coins, I stopped to see what they were selling. Amongst many really rare pieces, old Roman coins, really old Swiss coins, an impressive collection from all over the world and honestly quite affordable for any coin nutter, I loved seeing coins from Pestalozzi era..The knives were cool, clean and presentable, very well taken care of. Bunch of Euro and francs year collections, too, it's a good store.

And then, here it was, right in my face. A big collection of nazi memorabilia, some army clothes, knives, coins and medals with nazi emblems. The crosses were taped over.

Coming from a commie place, where these days it is illegal to actually have nazi symbols on public displays, or in any kind of media (they are more lenient there with commie symbols knowing it is hard to get rid off when some of the folks from commie era are still die hard commies)...

Still, I was surprised.

Who would want to buy nazi memorabilia? Is it legal here to put it on a display?

There were commie things there as well, without the symbols hidden. I was trying to see if they have something from my country, or if I could recognized anything. The nazi stuff was bothering me though, knowing the difficult history this place had with colaborators, Jewish gold, etc.

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"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

http://www.englishforum.ch/swiss-new...i-symbols.html

I found many in Polish towns bordering Germany, although they are outlawed in PL.

http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/3...-souvenir.html

Thanks for the link, it is very interesting.

We do have a bunch of crazy old Russian memorabilia being sold in thousands of pieces every day in streets of Prague and antique stores are full of them all over the country.

But nazi stuff wouldn't be even sold by most antique stores owners, people flush it down the toilets.

I think it is because of every single family being somehow affected by the war where I am from, someone somebody used to know was either killed or sent to nazi Germany for work, or reprogramming, too many people disappearing, etc. The nazi camps were only few km from where I lived, we had a chamber of tribute, in every school, with ashes from nazi camps and oversized photos of nazi camps prisoners, dead folks, where we had to go every year to pay tributes as kids..

So, I think it is something people wouldn't want to collect memorabilia of. It's hard for me to grasp. Though it was interesting to see, for sure.

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"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

Sold in the UK too:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...niversary.html

Major distributor in the US:

http://www.pzg.biz/

Also saw some shops in Brno selling them.

CZ article

http://www.romea.cz/english/index.ph...2394&id=detail

I didn't realize there is such a world wide market, it's so strange..If the whole genocide didn't happen in my territory, I would have maybe understood, but knowing it is a part of history people are trying to make peace with and forget, weird. Seeing it in the store, flat out like this..

I've never seen in back home, it could be it is being sold now..I can imagine, people sell anything they can. Blech.

damn that's weird for me.

I would think that the symbols would all be forbidden, as to avoid neonazis.

btw, didn't this thread approach godwin from post 1??

I truly share you shock and concern. Neo-nazis are on the rise - and the global crisis is making this worse. In Germany, especially in the old East Neonazis are a real problem, with many cases of murder recently discovered. Same all over Europe, Norway, Belgium, Italy, France, etc.

And yet so many would still say that making the stuff illegal would only glorify it more and push it underground. Tragic really.

The whole store window was godwin embodied, honestly...

I don't know, really, I shouldn't be surprised. Hypocritically, I love weapons, and seeing old daggers and stuff was a thrill. Seing Russian stuff that I grew up with (that should be way closer to hit home than some distant past nazi that affected only my grandparents and parents, pretty much, not me, personally) does not phase me at all. But nazi memorabilia just brings weird aftertaste.

that pzg page is for replicas. I wonder what look people would get if Someone sends them one of those führer xmas cards….
:S

You are right, I think that's why it feels weird, the neonazi movement is probably what is bugging me..

I didn't start the thread thinking I am shocked to see it specifically here, not at all, I know about neonazies in the US, etc etc., so I know there is interest all over, besides the memorabilia is outsourced from my area of Germany/CZ German border, etc. former fashist territory.

I was trying to think what do people think when they go past the store and look at it, who buys it, how come it is so out in the face on the display, for whom the owner of the store displays it, etc..I think I like the idea of making this illegal. No matter of possibly pushing the movement underground, still. For the sake of those who were killed by nazies, their dignity. They had to stare at those symbols when they were dying, holocaust was so massive and organized..distributing anything with nazi symbolism is considered spreading hatred back home, since that is what nazi theories were about.

I read somewhere, my homeland is 80% Jewish but historically it was wiped out of people's minds. I just recently found out about my possible Jewish roots, which was craftily hidden from us by our ancestors, for safety reasons.

Maybe that's why it is strange for me to see those things, I've never seen it before. (actually, minus the fact we found a secret grave of a nazi soldier under the strawberry patch on our back yard in the 80s, since we were Sudetten land).

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"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

This happened to me too just 3 weeks ago. I was indulging on one of my favorite hobbies: spending a few hours in a open flea market, examining old tools and watches, looking for old books and stamps etc.

There on the table was a basket full of genuine memorabilia, SS military pins etc. I was utterly disgusted.
The vendor just shrugged and said he had a market for it.

At that point an elderly man made a strong statement in favour of it all and I just returned his stare in disconcerted silence and walked away, far away from both.

For me, it's not normal and it should be forbidden.

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"Il mondo è fatto a scale, chi le scende e chi le sale"

Older Swissinfo article in 2005:


2010:

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_ne...l?cid=15791816

How would you all feel about NKVD/KGB memorabilia by comparison? Better, worse, the same? It's freely available online.

One added 'issue' here (apologies for not finding a better word to describe this) in CH is that people never experienced the true horror of war. My dad was in the (cyclist) army during the war - but it was more like 'Dad's army' (UK TV programme). Of course this generation hasn't got a clue at all, in CH or elsewhere. It is a true concern though that any economic crisis is a breeding ground for racism of any kind - just like in the 30s. As the strong Swiss Franc continues to cause real problems for the Swiss economy with consequent job losses- it is likely to rise here too.

Agreed, it sale of stuff glorifying Nazism should be banned.

Edit: shame you felt a groan was in order Mark - which word would be better - thanks.

I get what you mean, but I would never say that it's a problem not to experience war.

Well...I know. It's a tough one. I lived that era, was trained in weapons and civic militia training, we went to Russian Army camps so was exposed to those now "colectibles" and trained on them, I speak the language, and the culture is close to mine..we were their political peons..I dislike the symbols as much as the nazi, part of me is nostalgic, though, just because it is part of my personal history. I kinda don't see it as a threat, it feels so gone, since we beat it and I was part of the revolution. Now, with the neonazies, I feel it is not so gone and it could be a threat.

__________________
"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

Unfortunately people will do anything for a fast buck. I disagree with selling this memorabilia but what can you do to stop it?

I have also heard about "treasure hunters" out with their metal detectors in Northern France digging up memorabilia from fallen soldiers from WW1 in farmers fields where there are still plenty of undiscovered bodies and lots of trinkets. I personally think this is sick too...

Yeah. I think that's what is weird, too, we consider it trinkets, little metal bits, buttons, medals, pins, hats. But it belonged to folks, who went through crazy killing times. I always think of ee cummings and his intense war poetry when looking at war souvenirs, or the films we had to watch of Red Army soldiers who came to "rescue" while themselves being in such poor state, state not far from those nazi camps prisoners they freed.

I rarely use the groan button on this forum, but for once it's well deserved for calling this 'a problem'.

BTW to all those in favor of banning 'Nazi symbols': Do you really think it's a good idea to ban the swastika for example, just because it was hijacked by the Nazis?

I can understand those who sell as they need the money. But who are those who do the buying and collecting. What goes on in their mind?

Our house saw the end of the Napoleonic wars in February 1871, and was used as an emergency hospital, as was the Church nearby. There must be so much stuff left int he ground - and yet I feel it is best left there, out of respect for those who suffered so much.

Mark75- agreed, not the best use of words (from a non native speaker) - please suggest a better alternative and I will edit accordingly.