Nazi memorabilia

Clare -
Many servicemen brought things back from Germany etc as trophies of the war, and our victory.
My Dad brought a very valuable (at the time) pair of binoculars, and some top quality bath towels. Even though he had been in the RN he returned home via Germany and Allies were able to pass through prosperous areas and take what they fancied. The spoils of war?
A knife is a bit different, I wouldn't want to keep it. I would want to destroy it, but I can see your husband's point.

Mind you, it has to be remembered that the knife bore no malice to anyone, neither did the OP's husband nor his father, and probably not even the German soldier who was originally its owner. I personally can't see why they shouldn't enjoy the money. They've done nothing wrong.

I have a Russian Army belt buckle. It's brass with the logo impressed and also have a KGB enamelled metal badge.
I had the buckle put on a tan leather belt and have had plenty of posisitive remarks on it.
I collect buckles and regularly swap them around.
Knives ?are a different kettle of fish but there are, no doubt, people who'd, rightly or wrongly, have something negative to say about any artefact from most wars.

oopsminty ,my late uncle was a prisoner of war in Germany .He too loved the country and the people.We didn't think there was any problem with that or him.He lost a leg parachuting into Germany and the guards wete brilliant with him .He always said they treated him very well.Fitted him with an artificial limb and spent hours ..and longer teaching him how to use it and live with it.
The war was a very long time ago ,we cant from this distance believe that ALL germans were sympathetic to the Nazi cause ,your dad probably did understand the horror but could see past that and appreciate the people .

Thanks for coming back to us ClareAB. Although I think if it were me I'd rather not see any money from it (for the neo-Nazi connections) I'm glad you have found a solution that respects both your feelings about it, and his.
So glad you have resolved the dilemma.

I wouldn't want it in the house either, but obviously your husband sees things differently and nothing you have said over the years has had an effect, has it?

Now, at least, he is willing to sell it. I agree with others who say that is not the best option, but I think you are fighting a loosing battle here. Let your husband sell it and do what he wants with the money.

If you can afford to , donate a similar amount to a charity of your choice, either in one go, or in smaller instalments.

Thank you very much for all your replies. I have showed them to my husband and we both like the idea of donating the money to a veteran cause.

The truth is I dislike any instrument that is used in war. I cannot understand why people revere guns, knives, spitfires, tanks, warships etc. I look at them and think of all the people they've killed and just feel sad that they are glorified.

There are so many other things we can rejoice in. War is not one of those things

I would have given it to a military museum. Who has he sold it to? I think there are laws about possession and sales of knives. Is he sure it won't be used unlawfully?

One less knife, Nazi or not, would be a good thing imo. Drop it off a bridge into some deep water.

It's his knife. Let him do with it what he wants.

Lemongrove.
Mundane as in ???????

it`s a knife, Nazi or otherwise, should be given to a museum, out of harms way of all of these knife crimes

There are millions of artefacts bobbing around from WW11 but collectable items would have a swastika on them.

If your husband's knife is one of these, the only likely purchasers would be neo-nazis. Following through, your husband would indeed by fuelling hate (these people don't love all man-kind unilaterally) by selling.

Perhaps a museum would be interested (but there are probably many of these knives already in museums, who knows. It is worth checking).

In my eyes there would be blood on the knife, if not physically, morally.

An afterthought... would it be worth contacting the British Legion and asking their stance on this?

I have been very interested in this discussion, and I do hope that it has helped ClareAB.
I take the points made that it was probably a German Army knife, used for mundane purposes ; and that some people are simply collectors. I still wonder if its sale is illegal.

I do see that it is not Clare's own call, but in a loving marriage, the opinion of one's spouse is very important. I also imagine that being left such a curiosity by a step-father may have indicated a loving & trusting relationship between them. Calling it an 'evil object' may feel disrespectful. So it seems to me that finding a way both to acknowledge both of these views is important. The current legal situation may be one way of doing this, with the help of an understanding Police Officer (and they are, in my experience)

So, my personal view remains that it would be best handed in at a police station. The police are very sensitive to this situation - I personally would talk to the local PCSO about where & when best to hand it in.

I hope, ClareAB, if you feel able, that you could let us know if these thoughtful replies have helped you at all. Whatever happens, you have done your best.

What MawB said. The Imperial War Museum and forget about the thing.

And I don't think you are being silly in having a fret over this. In your position I'd be thinking - that's the Nazi golf clubs, (if that's what he'd spend the money on). It would just be in my head ...

My thoughts- It belongs to your husband and he should decide what he wants to do with it. You could show him this thread but if he still wants to sell it, it’s his personal choice.
There are people all round the work who collect weapons of all sorts and most are collectors rather than people who wish to use them.
Do you have any local museums who may accept as a donation? Your husband may feel good donating an historical implement? Does he have a favourite cause, local organisation or charity? Once sold, he could make a donation that would mean something good coming from something bad. The recipients don’t need to know about the sale.

Your husband's DF may not have fully appreciated the stigma and horror of the Nazi era. It did take some time for the full effect of the holocaust to be understood. Just couldn't bring myself to profit from that by selling the knife. I'm with you. Think the knife would suddenly disappear in the nearest recycling facility if it was up to me.

I'm another who expects it would only be bought by a neo-Nazi.

I would rather gift it to a museum. If you are comfortable and don't need the money, maybe your husband could put together a few lines about the origins etc. to gift with it. I hope they would take it with a story.

Discuss the prospective purchaser with your husband and see if that changes his mind.

That’s a good point lemon - imo for it to be a Nazi knife it would need to be embossed with a swastika. If it is, I’d find it hard to make money from it and would have to donate it to a relevant good cause like Help for Heroes.

It’s just a knife! The k ice isn’t evil!
Let your husband use the money for what he wants
Sorry you are being a bit silly

Most Army knives were used for mundane reasons in WW2.

We have a knife amnesty this month in our local police stations............ does DH think the proceeds would be his or yours jointly? If the latter give your half to charity and let him do what he wants with his but, perhaps, don’t parade the item he purchases. If the former the same action could apply for him using all the proceeds. Items from the wars could be construed as ‘blood money’ from all sides. Also just because someone may have used it doesn’t mean they actively wanted to - there were lots of people made to do things they wouldn’t choose to do

Firstly, is it really a Nazi knife? Or do you mean it was taken from a German soldier ( either dead or a prisoner)?
In which case it’s a German Army knife ( much as a British Army knife.)
If it’s worth quite a bit, sell it at auction to either a collector or a museum and suggest to your DH that he donates half the money to a charity connected to the British Army and keeps half himself?

I fully appreciate your feelings! But a) many charities prefer not to accept donations that came from something they consider a bad image for them and b) legally it is your husband's to do with as he likes. This isn't something you need to take responsibility for. I am sure you've expressed your views to him, now he is solely responsible for his decision.

My father brought back loads of items from WWII. They were dotted about the house until his death. He actually loved the Germans and went back many times during his life. He was a very young soldier and I used to think he was either shell shocked or just didn't seem to appreciate the horrors of war. Once he died everything went to a local collector.