A new homeowner got a shock when they explored the attic of their new property and found Nazi memorabilia.
Reddit user Entire-Ant6994 created an account on the site for the sole reason of asking internet users about the artifact, including where it may have come from and if it could be worth anything.
In photos shared on multiple subs, they showed off a bright red folder with the infamous Nazi insignia.
The finder, who asked not to be named, told Newsweek: “I found the folder in the attic of a newly purchased home. A World War II soldier sent this and some other stuff in the mail to his mother, who used to live in my new home, to hold on to it for him.”
In the back was a note declaring it had been “presented as a souvenir from the 19th Ordnance Battalion,” part of the U.S. Army based in Germany, to guests at a dinner held in Germany on 10 June, 1945, one month after Germany surrendered in World War II.
It listed the names of those present, including high-ranking U.S. officers, and included the dinner menu from that evening. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Military for comment on this story.
The finder said they also discovered other World War II-era items in their attic, including paper money and coins.
When it comes to the folder, they admitted they “haven’t really found any information” apart from what Reddit commenters told them but the unusual discovery provoked a huge reaction online.
On subreddit r/whatsthisworth, they shared photos of the discovery and wrote: “Found this Nazi folder in my attic. Belonged to a WW2 U.S. Soldier that received it in 1945.”
Shared on September 26, the post racked up over 1,200 upvotes and hundreds of comments, and a debate raged over whether the finder should keep it, sell it, donate it to a museum or destroy the Nazi memorabilia.
One commenter argued: “People are saying don’t sell this because of the Nazi element are missing the other side of this as a pretty unique piece of US Army history. That menu and guest list is really interesting and the condition is great, in this context you can’t disconnect one from the other.”
Another agreed: “This is a piece of U.S. history, taken home by an American as a war trophy. If this was sold it would, in the highest probability, go to an American collector who doesn’t support the ideology or evil of the TR [Third Reich].“
One user suggested the finder donate the folder to a museum, while another pointed out: “I see a lot of people here reacting as if this is a pro-Nazi, but if they’re American Army in Munich 2-3 months after Victory in Europe was achieved…don’t we think this was probably celebrating the defeat of the Nazis?”
In a comment to Newsweek amid the online debate, Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the U.K.’s Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “We wouldn’t class these sorts of items as souvenirs or collectibles, but rather, stark reminders of a dark chapter in human history.
“In the hands of educators, they can serve to deepen understanding of the Holocaust, its causes, and its consequences. Through careful considered presentation, these artifacts can help future generations learn from this horrific episode in our history.”
The liberation of Western Europe in World War II began with the D-Day operation that took place in June, 1944, when almost 133,000 troops from the U.S., Britain and their allies landed in Normandy on 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by over 195,000 naval personnel, according to the Eisenhower Library.
Germany surrendered in May 1945, with the folder’s dinner taking place one month later. The war would officially come to an end in September, 1945, after the surrender of Japan.
Speaking to Newsweek, the finder said they took to Reddit as they were hoping to discover information not included in the note on the back, such as something about “the people mentioned in the note, or about the original use of the folder, or just any general history around it.”
While they didn’t get the specific information they were hoping for, some commenters told them the folder could be worth a few hundred dollars, while others insisted it was worth nothing.
“If it’s worth a lot of money I would definitely look to sell it,” the finder said.
Adding that they are looking to get the folder valued by a professional, they said if it isn’t worth much, they “may hold on to it as I do think it is a cool part of history.”
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