THE sale of a hoard of Nazi memorabilia in Adelaide has enraged the Jewish community, which argues money is being made from Holocaust survivors’ misery.

More than 30 German World War II items were auctioned today, including a gas canister, ten large Nazi flags, Swastika -emblazoned SS officer swords, Nazi volunteers’ badge and a Waffen SS armband.

The items were offered as part of a 560-lot sale of several estates at a Kilkenny auction house, under instruction from a private collector whose Australian serviceman grandfather had gathered the memorabilia during World War II.

Some auction houses, such as online site eBay, ban the sale of items that “promote or glorify hatred (and) violence ...” such as Nazi and Nazi-related memorabilia.

media_camera Some of the Nazi memorabilia auctioned in Adelaide.

eBay does not allow: “uniforms, uniform components, weapons, or other items that bear the Nazi swastika or SS runes, whether visible or covered”.

Auctioneers Mason Gray Strange are defending the sale, stressing it was neither endorsing the Nazi regime nor intended to cause offence.

But Jewish Community Council of South Australia president Norman Schueler said the auctioneers should have known better than to inflame horrific memories of the Holocaust — the Nazi genocide of six million Jews during World War II.

“I would not like to think that people are trying to profit by trading on other people’s misery,” Mr Schueler said.

``These articles are a manifestation of what is an abhorrent part of history and will cause to those people who are affected many sleepless nights ...”

media_camera The Waffen SS armband, which was part of Nazi memorabilia auctioned in Adelaide.

media_camera One of the Nazi flags auctioned in Adelaide.

Mr Schueler said outrage at the sale of Nazi memorabilia should not be muted because almost 70 years had passed since the end of World War II.

“We must continue in schools and universities to make people aware of the worst crime perpetuated on man ever and not allow its memory to be dulled by time,” he said.

Auctioneer Robert Hunkin said he had weighed the sale’s ethics with the strong and legal demand for military memorabilia in Adelaide.

He said this was evidenced by the SS officers’ swords selling to for between $500 and $700 apiece and the Nazi flags selling for between $200 and $500 apiece to militaria collectors.

“I don’t intend to upset anyone. I just know that there’s a significant following of people who do collect memorabilia,” Mr Hunkin said.

It was unlikely his firm would sell items like this again, he said, given the strong reaction it had provoked from the Jewish community.

“I know of the stigma that’s attached to this sort of militaria and I’m fully aware of history and the history of the Germans and the Nazis,” Mr Hunkin said.

However, he said the sale went ahead without any prior objections, although Mr Hunkin conceded he had expected some debate.

Mr Hunkin said Australian militaria was most popular with Adelaide collectors and German memorabilia did not frequently come on the market.

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