Norway Auction House Cancels Sale of Nazi-Looted Torah Scroll After Israeli Protest
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
An Oslo auction house canceled the sale of a Torah scroll fragment looted by Nazis from Poland after Israel's Foreign Ministry protested. The scroll, used by a Nazi soldier, had a winning bid of over $10,000 before the sale was halted. The item will now be donated to a Holocaust remembrance organization in the US. The auction also featured other looted Jewish items and Nazi memorabilia.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Valkyrie Historical Auctions in Oslo canceled the sale of a Nazi-looted Torah scroll fragment.
- Israel's Foreign Ministry protested the auction, calling it a "Nazi celebration."
- The Torah scroll fragment had a winning bid of $8,500, totaling over $10,000 with fees.
- The scroll was reportedly used by an SS soldier to wrap a package.
- The item will be donated to the RUTH, Remember Us The Holocaust organization in San Diego.
- Other looted Jewish items and Nazi memorabilia were also sold at the auction.
The auction house Valkyrie Historical Auctions, based in Oslo, Norway, announced on Monday that it has canceled a public sale of a Torah scroll fragment that was looted from a synagogue in Poland by SS soldiers during the Holocaust. The decision followed a strong protest from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which condemned the auction as a "Nazi celebration in Oslo" and a "moral abomination."
The scroll, written on calfskin, was reportedly used by a Nazi soldier to wrap a package sent to Germany, with details of the military unit and recipient still visible on its reverse. The item had a winning bid of $8,500, reaching $10,625 with buyer's premium, approximately 100,000 Norwegian kroner.
A representative for the auction house stated that the sale was not finalized and that the scroll would be donated to the RUTH, Remember Us The Holocaust organization in San Diego, USA. The representative acknowledged the moral questions surrounding the sale of such items but disputed the characterization of the scroll as looted, suggesting it "may have been abandoned during the Holocaust."
An Israeli-Norwegian activist against antisemitism, On Elfaleg, welcomed the cancellation and expressed hope that the auction house would similarly handle other personal items belonging to Jews. He emphasized that museums dedicated to Holocaust education should be prioritized for acquiring such historical artifacts to preserve memory for future generations.
Other items sold at the auction included tefillin looted by the Nazis, a dress with a yellow star, and various Nazi memorabilia, such as symbols, images of Hitler and other Third Reich officials, and even an "Aryan race" nude photograph.
Mentioned
