droog magazine
HOME   

November 18, 2020 - Droog Magazine periodical for investigative journalism

 The Hitler Forgery Industry

to Hitler Forgery Industry main page - to Droog Magazine

1938 | Trade | Certificates of Authenticity


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

Introduction


In the 1930's the Hitler forgery industry was in full swing. In 1933 Reinhold Hanisch was arrested in Vienna for the first time, on suspicion of forging Hitler watercolors. The case was dismissed, because of lack of evidence.  In 1936 followed his second arrest - he died, probably of natural causes, whilst in detention.

Meanwhile, in Nazi publications reproductions of alleged Hitler watercolors were published, which were very likely nor made by Hitler, but by ghost art painters. At the same time 'normal' forgers were active.


Content

Hitler's watercolors (Vienna/Berlin, January 1938)
Hitler letter (Paris, March 1938)
Hitler autographs (Berlin, June 1938)
Hitlers auctioned (Munich, July 1938)

Exchange rates/value of money 1938



Hitler's watercolors,

VIENNA. January 25 – Described as artistically very poor and amateurish, several of Hitler's water-colors, which were painted before the war, when he was an unemployed house painter and decorator, have been purchased by an art dealer and sent to Berlin. Some of the pictures, which were bought under the instructions of an unnamed German, fetched £1,670 each.

Hitler's watercolors. Some fetch £1,670 each. Chronicle, Adelaide (Australia), 27-01-1938.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92475004
To top of page.

Hitler letter, Paris.

At an auction in Paris a handwriten letter, allegedly written by Hitler,in which he appoints captain Röhm per April 1, 1925 as leader of the S.A., wass sold for 18,000 francs. A handwritten text allegedly written by Mussolini in October 1922, in which he orders the fascist organization of the Italian state, is sold for 4,500 francs.

Handschrift van Hitler verkocht. Dagblad van Noord-Brabant, Breda, 14-03-1938.
https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMKB23:001990061:mpeg21:a00034

To top of page.

Berlin - auctioning of autographs

Berlin - June 1938. Auction house Stargardt auction a signed photo ofHitler, start price 90 Reichsmark. Autographs by Goebbels and Goering have a start price of 8 mark each.One by the late Reichspresident Hindenburg is valued at 40, a letter from Richard Strauss at 12 marks.

Wat is de waarde van een handteeking? De Telegraaf, Amsterdam, 14-06-1938.
https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:110578043:mpeg21:a0038

To top of page.

Hitlers auctioned in Nazi Germany.

1938 - In July 1938 the NSDAP Hauptarchiv (Main Archive) buys at least one alleged Hitler watercolor at the Munich based auction house Weinmüller. It is a work titled "Peterskirche, München" It is bought for 8000 Reichsmark.  

Earlier, probably also in 1938, the NSDAP-HA bought two other alleged Hitlers at the same auctionhouse; the works "Asamkirche, München" and "Kleines Standesamt, München", for respectively 8000 and 6000 Reichsmark."

On the Van den Borg and Droog List of lists these are probably:

M15a - "Peterskirche", neg. 170/1a, Price 373
M17   - "Johanneskirche u. Asamhaus II", neg 170/1, Price 371(?)
M11   - "Kleines Standesamt", neg. 170/2, Price 393(?)

Unknown who the previous owner(s) was or were.

Nota bene: the acquisition of these works by the NSDAP Hauparchiv doesn't mean these works are authentic 'Hitlers'.

Aquarelle des Führers. Bundesarchiv Berlin, NS 26/34-43/31.
Jaap van den Born and Bart FM Droog. List of lists. List of all watercolors, paintings and sketches allegedly made by Adolf Hitler and known to be in existence before May 1945. Unpublished. Eenrum/Nijmegen, Preliminary version 1.3, 2020.

To top of page.


Exchange rates / value of money 01-01-1938

 1 UK pound = 5 US dollar.
1 US dollar = 0,20 UK pound (in decimals) 
1 UK pound = 130 French francs
1 French franc = 0,0077 French francs
1 UK pound = 29 Belgian francs
1 Belgian franc = 0,03 UK pound
1 UK pound = 95 Italian lire
1 Italian lire = 0,01 UK pound
1 UK pound = 8,98 NL guilder
1 NL guilder = 0,11 UK pound
1 UK pound = 12,42 Reichsmark
1 Reichsmark = 0,08 UK pound
1 UK pound =  22,40 Danish krone
1 Danish kron = 0,04 UK pound
1 UK pound = 19,90 Norwegian krone
1 Norwegian kron =0,05 UK pound
1 UK pound = 19,39 Swedish krone
1 Swedish kron = 0,05 UK pound
1 UK pound = 21,61 Swiss francs
1 Swiss franc =0,046 UK pound
1 UK pound = 86 Spanish pesetas
1 Sp. peseta = 0,0116 UK pound


Roosevelt verlaagt den binnenlandschen zilverprijs. Algemeen Handelsblad, Amsterdam, 02-01-1938.
https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010664125:mpeg21:a0212

Buitenlandsche beurzen. Wisselkoersen. Algemeen Handelsblad, Amsterdam, 02-01-1938.

http://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010664125:mpeg21:a0217

CPI Inflation Calculator – for US dollars.This inflation calculator uses official records published by the U.S. Department of Labor.
https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/

Convertisseur franc-euro. Pouvoir d'achat de l'euro et du franc. Le convertisseur franc-euro mesure l'érosion monétaire due à l'inflation.
https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/2417794


Value of the Guilder/Euro. International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam.
http://www.iisg.nl/hpw/calculate.php

© Compilation Bart FM Droog, 2020.