A watch allegedly owned by Adolf Hitler sold at auction in the United States for $1.1 million. On the Huber brand clock, the swastika and the initials AH are engraved. The buyer of the watch has not been disclosed.

According to Alexander Historical Auctions in Maryland, the watch was probably a gift to Hitler on his birthday in 1933, the year he became chancellor of Germany. Around the swastika on the watch case, in addition to Hitler’s date of birth, the dates of Hitler’s electoral victory in the NSDAP and his appointment as chancellor can also be read.

The auction house wrote that the watch was taken by French soldiers in May 1945, during the attack on Hitler’s country house in the Berghof in Obersalzberg in Bavaria. The watch has since been sold several times, according to the auction house.

In addition to Hitler’s watch, the dress of Hitler’s wife Eva Braun, her dog’s collar and portraits of high-ranking Nazi officials with autographs were put up for auction. A yellow Star of David was also auctioned.

Prior to the auction, Alexander’s historic auctions were criticized within the Jewish community. Rabbi Menachem Margoli of the European Jewish Association called for the auction to be cancelled.

“This auction, consciously or unconsciously, does two things: It gives breathing space to people who represented what the Nazis advocated and motivates buyers to offer their guests or loved ones something for the genocide killer and his henchmen,” he said. Marjoly.

The auction house rejected the criticism. Reverse German media Alexander Historical Auctions told us that the purpose of the auction is to secure historical pieces, and that many of these items end up for collectors and museums. “Whether it’s good or bad history, it must be preserved. If we destroy historical pieces, there is no evidence of it ever happening.”

Marjolli wasn’t convinced: “It goes without saying that the lessons of history must be learned, and real Nazi memorabilia belong in museums or research institutes. That obviously doesn’t apply to the things you sell now.”