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June 15, 2019 - Droog Magazine periodical for investigative journalism

The Hitler Forgery Industry

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Auctions | 2019 | Press | Certificates

Auctions before 2019: 'De zwendel met Hitlers'

13-01-2019: 1 Hitler - Militaria321, Vaduz (Liechtenstein)
19-01-2019: 5 Hitlers - Milestone Auctions, Willoughby (USA)
24-01-2019: 3 Hitlers - Kloss, Berlin (Germany)
09-02-2019: 68 Hitlers - Weidler, Nuremberg (Germany)
23-02-2019: 1 Hitler - Mullocks, Church Stretton (UK)
31-03-2019: 1 Hitler - withdrawn from auction (USA)
07-04-2019: 1 Hitler - Antiques of the World, Callao (Peru)*
11-04-2019: 1 Hitler - Affiliate Auctions, Tallahassee (USA)
14-05-2019: [1] Hitler - Antiques of the World, Callao (Peru)*
24-05-2019: 1 Hitler - Hermann Historica, Munich (Germany)
08-06-2019: 1 Hitler - Finger Lakes Estate, Ithaca (NY, USA)
25-06-2019: 1 Hitler -
Affiliate Auctions, Tallahassee (USA)

* Remained unsold in April; in May offered again.


Total 2019: 84 Hitlers


By Jaap van den Born and Bart FM Droog

The strange business of selling fakes, forgeries and other concoctions attributed to Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) and other Nazi criminals.




13-01-2019. Militaria321.com, Vaduz (Liechtenstein)

Online Militaria auction house. Sold for €455 on January 13 one forged Hitler painting with a fraudulent Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) issued by Frank P. Garo. 

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19-01-2019. Milestone Auctions, Willoughby (Ohio), USA

'Historic Military & Firearms Event'. With four fake Hitler drawings; one fake Hitler oil painting and one fake handwritten letter. Revenue: $ 26,000.-.
https://milestoneauctions.hibid.com/catalog/154227/historic-military-and-firearms-event/


Bart FM Droog. American auction house is trying to sell fake Hitlers. The Post Online, Amsterdam, 15-01-2019.
https://tpo.nl/2019/01/15/american-auction-house-is-trying-to-sell-fake-hitlers/

Report on alleged Hitler painting auctioned by Milestone Auctions.
http://www.droog-mag.nl/hitler/2019-01-03-blumen-im-zimmer.pdf
Hamilton's list. Konrad Kujau-Hitlers described by Charles Hamilton, 1991.
http://www.droog-mag.nl/hitler/hamiltons-list.pdf

 

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24-01-2019. Auktionshaus Kloss, Berlin, Germany 

'39. Auktion. Winterauktion& Firearms Event'.
Three fake Hitler watercolors; confiscated by the Berlin police. Revenue: € 0.-.

http://www.auktionshaus-kloss.de/


These three Hitlers were confiscated after we alerted the Berlin police, and handed them evidence which proofs these works are forgeries.
All three watercolors were accompanied by Certificates of Authenticity (CoA) issued by the American 'forensic handwriting expert' Frank P. Garo.

  

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09-02-2019. Auktionshaus Weidler, Nuremberg, Germany 

'A2210. Auktion.'
Originally 31  fake Hitler artworks (most of them watercolors, a few drawings and one oil painting were offered.
Of these the police seized 26, and an additional 37 alleged Hitler works, which were found in the premises, for a total of 63. 
One of the not-seized Hitlers was sold shortly after the auction.
Revenue: € 30,000.- + 24% commission (€ 7,200.-).

http://www.auktionshaus-kloss.de/


Report for Bavarian LKA by Jaap van den Born and Bart FM Droog on the Weidler auction, 06-02-2019.
http://www.droog-mag.nl/hitler/report-on-Hitler-Auktion-Weidler-09-02-2019.pdf
Ergebnisliste der Auktion A2210 - lot 6703 isone of the five not seized Hitler watercolors.
https://www.auktionshausweidler.de/de/kataloge/2019/2210/Ergebnisliste_A2210.pdf

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23-02-2019. Mullock's Auctions, Church Stretton, Shropshire, United Kingdom 

'Toys, Collectables, Historical documents & Indian Ephemera. One clearly fake Hitler: a butterfly watercolor, lot 605. Guide price: £4,800 -  £5,000. Unsold.
https://www.mullocksauctions.co.uk/.


'Hitler' Auctioneers - United Kingdom. Mullock's Specialist Auctioneers & Valuers. survey 2009-2019. By Jaap van den Born and Bart FM Droog, 15-02-2019.
http://www.droog-mag.nl/hitler/mullocks-history-of-hitler-auctions.pdf

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31-03/02-04-2019. Poulin Antiques and Auctions Inc, Fairfield, Maine, USA

One 'Hitler' watercolor. 'Early early painting by WWII German leader Adolf Hitler', lot #2466 on the 'Spring 2019 Firearms Auction'. The work allegedly dated from 1913, and was had a stamp print of Hans O.A. Horvath on its back. The estimate price was $3,000 - $5,000.

After this auction house was warned of the dubious nature of this 'Hitler', it withdrew it from the auction.


See: A 'Hitler' in Fairfield (Maine, USA).

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07-04-2019 / 14-05-2019. Antiques of the World, Callao (Peru)


One 'Hitler' drawing. Advertised as 'in the style of', but with a forged Hitler signature and a fake Nazi stamp print on the back side.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/70115539_in-the-style-of-adolf-hitler-german-1889-1945

Bart FM Droog. Dossier Hitlervervalsingen - 'Hitler' in Zuid Amerika opgedoken. The Post Online, Amsterdam, 26-03-2019.
https://tpo.nl/2019/03/26/dossier-hitlervervalsingen-hitler-in-zuid-amerika-opgedoken/

This alleged 'Hitler' wasn't sold in April. It was offered again for a May 14 auction.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/71247338_attr-adolf-hitler-german-1889-1945-graphite

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11-04-2019: 1 Hitler - Affiliate Auctions, Tallahassee (Florida, USA).

Tallahassee auction house with a history of selling fake Hitlers as authentic tries it again in 2019. This time the work in question is accompanied by two fraudulent Certificates of Authenticity. One issued by the UK firm Rareandsigned.com, the other one by Frank P. Garo.

See: 'Hitler' in Florida. Droog Magazine, April 3, 2019.  

https://live.affiliatedauctions.com/lots/view/1-1SFT2W/adolf-hitler-autograph-sketch-frederick-the-great


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24-05-2019: 1 Hitler - Hermann Historica, Munich (Germany)

Herman Historica, the successor of the fraudulent Graf Klenau auction house, launched in the past 37 years numerous alleged 'authentic' Nazi militaria, memorabilia and Hitleriana. On auction nr. 79r it hopes to sell almost 800 lots with mainly Nazi rubbish. Amongst it are one 'original' Hitler watercolor (the umpteenth 'Standesamt München' variant) for minimal 20,000 euro and a book 'from Hitler's private library', for minimal 1,500 euro.

Both objects have one thing in common: they are not what they're said to be. And that's precisely the reason why the Munich Attorney General ordered the seizure of these items. 

 
Lot 4074: Adolf Hitler - Aquarell "München Standesamt"
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/hermann-historica-ohg/catalogue-id-srher10038/lot-706c7420-4205-4d66-90da-aa410113ab2c
Lot 4080: Adolf Hitler - "Der Mythus des 20. Jahrhunderts" aus seiner Privat-Bibliothek
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/hermann-historica-ohg/catalogue-id-srher10038/lot-2be45bb5-f21f-4440-a5b2-aa410113b0ec


See:

Bart FM Droog. Over een brandkastkraker, valse adel en valse Hitlers. De geschiedenis van Graf Klenau en veilinghuis Hermann Historica (Deel 1). The Post Online, Amsterdam, 18-05-2019.
https://tpo.nl/2019/05/18/dossier-hitlervervalsingen-over-een-brandkastkraker-valse-adel-en-valse-hitlers/.

Jaap van den Born and Bart FM Droog.  Graf Klenau / Hermann Historica. An auction house with a shady history. Or: how a crook became a count. Droog Magazine, Eenrum, 22-05-2019.
http://www.droog-mag.nl/hitler/history-hermann-historica-graf-klenau.pdf

Bart FM Droog. Politie München neemt aan Hitler toegeschreven aquarel en boek in beslag. The Post Online, Amsterdam, 22-05-2019.
https://tpo.nl/2019/05/22/politie-munchen-neemt-aan-hitler-toegeschreven-aquarel-en-boek-bij-veiling-in-beslag/

Sven-Felix Kellerhoff. Staatsanwälte stellen weitere Hitler-Fälschung sicher. Welt, Berlin, 22-05-2019 (online version; on 23-05-2019 in  paper edition).
https://www.welt.de/geschichte/article193977049/NS-Devotionalien-Weitere-Hitler-Faelschung-sichergestellt.html


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08-06-2019
: 1 Hitler - Finger Lakes Estate, Ithaca (NY, USA)

The 'Finger Lakes' auction house in Ithaca sold a forged Hitler sketch for $ 700. This happened at an auction on which more than seven hundred clearly forged artworks, allegedly all made by famous artists, were offered. Most of these were sold, for a total revenue of $ 263,120.- 

Furthermore, there seems to be a link between this auction house and an fraudulent auction house in Peru.

See:
Bart FM Droog. A 'Hitler' in Ithaca.
Droog Magazine, 12-06-2019
Bart FM Droog. Amerikaans veilinghuis slijt 773 fake kunstwerken [Blendle, € 0,69] Reporters Online, 14-06-2019. 
 

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25-06-2019: 1 Hitler - Affiliate Auctions, Tallahassee (Florida, USA).

One alleged Hitler drawing estimated on $9,000 - $12,000. The object, an obvious fake, is accompanied by a fraudulent Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) issued by Stephen R. Pastore. New is that this time a print from Wikipedia is presented as complementary evidence. Sigh.

See: A Hitler in Florida (2). Droog Magazine, 15-06-2019.


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© Compilation Jaap van den Born & Bart FM Droog, 2019