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?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Swiss cinemas report drop in admissions in first half of 2024
This content was published on
The decline in cinema-goers has continued so far this year. Swiss films and smaller cinemas are holding up better than big US productions and multiplex.
Spread of Japanese beetle leads to lawn-watering bans in Basel
This content was published on
Basel City authorities have extended an infestation zone with strict guidelines to a good third of the canton’s territory.
Bad weather forces closure of many Swiss hiking trails
This content was published on
Some 620 trails are still closed due to the extreme weather this summer, with the canton of Valais particularly hard hit.
This content was published on
The two cities have beaten off Zurich and Bern to make it onto the shortlist to host the Europe-wide singing extravaganza next May.
This content was published on
Construction expenditure rose by 0.3% last year in nominal terms, but the price-adjusted situation reveals a 2.5% drop, statistics show.
Another body found in southern Switzerland after June storms
This content was published on
The body found in the Maggia river in Ticino on Thursday is “likely” to be the sixth victim of storms last month, police said.
Swiss helicopter rescue pioneers safe autopilot approach system
This content was published on
Swiss air rescue company Rega has received approval for a new kind of instrument flight system for approaching a hospital.
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.