The man was the top bidder for the late Nazi leader’s top hat, his cigar box, his typewriter and a luxury edition of Mein Kampf.
“I wanted to buy these objects so that they couldn’t be used for neo-Nazi propaganda purposes,” said Abdallah Chatila in an interview with Swiss Sunday newspaper le Matin Dimanche. The memorabilia related to the Nazi regime was auctioned off in Munich on Wednesday.
“Far-right populism and anti-Semitism are advancing throughout Europe and the world. I didn’t want these objects to fall into the wrong hands and be used by people with dishonest intentions,” he explained.
The Geneva contractor spent CHF600,000 ($601,640) to acquire ten of the most symbolic lots out of the 800 up for grabs. Personally, he felt that “these relics should be burned”, but he has decided to give them to the Keren Hajessod associationExternal link. The plan is for the objects to be exhibited in a museum, likely in Israel.
“This is very commendable. Abdallah Chatila deserves our respect for his determined intervention,” said Johanne Gurfinkiel, Secretary General of the Intercommunity Coordination against Anti-Semitism and Defamation (CICADExternal link).
More
More
The Jewish cemetery in no man’s land
This content was published on
How did the largest and oldest Jewish cemetery in Switzerland come to lie in a wooded no man’s land between the villages of Endingen and Lengnau?
Swiss institute hosted informal talks between Russians, Ukrainians and Americans
This content was published on
The Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) has hosted 10 meetings between Russian and Ukrainian interlocutors since the start of the war.
Automated driving on Swiss motorways is theoretically possible from March
This content was published on
It will be theoretically possible to hand over the steering wheel to technology but no such system has been submitted for official approval yet.
Heated atmosphere at Swiss rally against AfD politician Alice Weidel
This content was published on
Around 250 people demonstrated "against the right" and the German AfD politician Alice Weidel on Saturday afternoon in Einsiedeln.
This content was published on
The Ethos Foundation recommends that shareholders vote against all compensation-related items at the Annual General Meeting on March 7.
Top Swiss firms close to reaching gender quota in boards
This content was published on
The proportion of women on the boards of directors of the fifty largest listed companies in Switzerland currently stands at 28%.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Bern museum sells Manet from Gurlitt collection
This content was published on
The Kunstmuseum Bern has sold a painting by Édouard Manet from its controversial Gurlitt collection to Tokyo for $4 million.
Swiss mattress manufacturer linked to neo-Nazi group
This content was published on
On its website, White RexExternal link describes itself as a “Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, aggressive clothing, and sports gear company that advocates pan-European pride and traditional values.” “White Rex encourages all Europeans to embrace the warrior spirit of their ancestors, and fight back against the modern world,” the promotional text goes on to…
From Nazis to refineries: How Switzerland has handled the world’s gold
This content was published on
A new book exposes the dark history of gold laundering in Switzerland and the modern challenge of cleaning up a lucrative industry.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.