What do you do with Nazi memorabilia?
What do you do with Nazi memorabilia?
I own a long dagger/short sword. The hilt is in the design of the German eagle with its wings spread out as the hand guard and in the middle of the hand guard is a swastika. The scabbard is also adorned with swastikas on the top, mid section, and bottom.
I don't want to own this piece as I don't want to be seen as a Nazi sympathizer or anything of the sort, but I don't want to sell it to someone who actually is a Nazi sympathizer or something like that.
What do I do with it besides trash it? I don't want to trash it because it's decent quality. It's not historic in any way (which disturbs me to think about) but it's well made.
What can I do with it?
*The item in question is not historical
If it's not of historic significance? Modify it.
Know anyone who does metal work? Ask them to change it to something interesting.
Got a Dremel? Buff away the Nazi bits until it's smooth metal.
There are lots of different ways to change it!
And if you know anyone who does leather work, they can remove or replace the nasty bits on the scabbard.
Seconding the dremmel approach. Worst case scenario: You destroy a nazi sword. Best case: You end up with with a cool denazified sword.
Grind down the swastika, and change to a smaller grit to get a nice and polished finish.
Not sure, but I think the eagle predates the nazis.
EDIT: Nope, the eagle is also a nazi and needs a dremel. There, that's gotta be a brand new sentence.
EDIT2: Seems to be one of the many symbols that have been hijacked by nazis. Keep at your own risk.
The eagle as a symbol predates the nazis - a lot. The „Reichsadler“ has been used since 800 A.D. as in the region that is now Germany:
The Reichsadler, i. e. the German Imperial Eagle, originated from a proto-heraldic emblem that was believed to have been used by Charlemagne, the first Frankish ruler whom the Pope crowned as Holy Roman Emperor in AD 800, and derived ultimately from the Aquila, i. e. eagle standard, of the ancient Roman army.
Edit: of course the Nazis twisted this as well. To decide, if the eagle has to go, we need more details:
During Nazi rule, a stylised eagle combined with the Nazi swastika was made the national emblem (Hoheitszeichen) by order of Adolf Hitler in 1935.
Despite its medieval origin, the term "Reichsadler" in common English understanding is mostly associated with this specific Nazi-era version. The Nazi Party had used a very similar symbol for itself, called the Parteiadler ("Party's eagle"). These two insignia can be distinguished as the Reichsadler looks to its right shoulder whereas the Parteiadler looks to its left shoulder.
This is probably what I'm gonna end up doing.
I was just hoping someone could come up with something that wouldn't involve damaging anything? Idk I don't want to damage it but I don't want it to exist 😅
It's already damaged with all of that Nazi shit, you would be fixing it by removing it all.
A craftsmen wouldn't be damaging it, they'd be modifying it to make it more useful to you.
Donate it to a museum.
It belongs in a museum!
💩
Maybe it's sonething a museum would be interested on?
I doubt that. As I said it's not historical. It was made within the last two decades so I don't see a museum being interested.
Oh, so it's not actually Nazi memorabilia, just gross fanart. Melt it down.
Oh, I missed that part. Just trash it, then.
Oh yeah, so it's just junk.
If it were actually from WWII, I'd say there's no reason not to hold on to a piece of history, but if it's just neo-nazi garbage? I agree with the others saying modify it or toss it.
My only other thought besides destroying it: maybe gift it to a theater so it can be used as a prop? There are plays that focus on nazis/neo-nazis (e.g. The Producers) so maybe they could get some use out of it?
It was made within the last two decades
In that case, destroy it and drop it into a scrap metal recycling bin.
Happy cake day! 🍰
Melt it down and cast it the metal into a buttplug.
Simply the only solution
I get fucked in the ass by enough things, I don't need to Nazi's doing it too
Does MTG know that it's missing from her house yet?
If it's an artefact you may be able to turn it in to a reputable museum to get it off your hands
I concur with the dremel approach. Grind the shenanigans off and proceed as usual. Bonus spitepoints if you do antifa logo or something.
They could just draw three arrows on top of the swastika
Since it's not genuine, I'd just destroy it. I think real historical artifacts have their place in museums for educational purposes. Reproduction Nazi memorabilia isn't worth shit.
It wasn't clear to me from the post that it isn't genuine. I interpreted the post to mean that it wasn't famous in some way, just a standard issue dagger, but that it wasn't a reproduction.
I mean, the only person who would want it is a nazi...
If you knew a blacksmith they might smelt it, but I don't even know if that would be a waste of money/effort for them. Maybe one would do it for the symbolism? Same for a scrap recycling place.
Just break it and throw it away
It was made within the last two decades
decent quality
Are you sure about that? I mean, maybe you're a person who's way more into blades than I am, but a regular person would be hard pressed to differentiate between a "quality" blade and a "mall ninja shit" blade.
It's definitely well constructed when it comes to actual use. I've used it for test cutting before and it's held up just fine. It wouldn't be useful for defense but it would function as a dagger/short sword.
And I'm no expert but I studied machining and metalworking in school so I know good steel.
Read enough comments to learn it's a replica. Got a talented buddy with lathe? They might be able to transmorgify it into something very different, maybe even cool-looking.
Take a Dremel to it and turn it into something that isn't problematic. Or paint it rainbow and confuse the fuck out of anyone that visits you.
Put sockets in it and insert some gems to give it properties like fire damage or life steal.
Keep it like it is, and make a point to explain to anybody what your views are. I understand you not wanting to be considered a Nazi, but it is still ab almost 100 years old piece of history and I think it would be a pity to trash it.
Never forget history, means also keep "historic memorabilia". There is nothing bad in keeping a piece of history, good or bad, it's all our history and we should always be wary of trying to " trash it ".
Edit: you should edit your post and specify its not original. Them just trash it or melt if you can use the materials.
Seconded.
We can collect historic pieces because they have a value, even if that value is describing some of the worst aspects of history in order to remember them so we don’t repeat it.
A fake piece? I don't understand the market for that. If it was a movie prop or for a legit reenactment group (as in not nazis), it could have some value, but as a generic fake someone wanted to own a Nazi thing and someone else wanted to make a Nazi thing for profit. I would have a hard time keeping that around. There’s no positives to it.
melt it down and turn it into some anti-fascist art.
💩
I have a similar item that I don't want to display but also don't want to get rid of - I inherited it from my grandfather who got it by killing a Nazi.
How do I keep the memory of an item that represents killing Nazis to me without it looking sympathetic? Defacing the symbols might be the right way
I don't think you need to deface it. You could even display it if you're so inclined. Just make it clear to people who see it that you aren't a Nazi sympathizer in the same way you've done here and you'll be fine.
Get a display case and put a note with the story on it. That way it's clear its being kept from historical/sentimental value and not because you like Nazis.
It may be worth calling a few reputable museums to ask if they are interested in it. You could retain ownership while they display it, and that way you share the story of your grandfather without giving away the thing he left you.
Frame it with an engraving telling the story. That's an awesome piece of history to have, but you would definitely need to display it in some way that immediately communicates "this is historical".
Get a label maker and add a label saying "aquired by killing a nazi" (there's probably something cooler/nicer than a label, like engraving it, and there's probably a better way to word it too)
Loot
That’s an interesting question and wonder what most would say. There’s a story behind yours that’s rooted in world history and obviously affected your family. IMO, you’re allowed to keep it without looking sympathetic.
Same boat. My partner's grandfather had a bunch of WW2 memorabilia that their parents passed down to us. Among it are the papers of some Nazis he took off their bodies as well as other odds and ends.
It just sits in a box in our closet. It's interesting history, but definitely not something I have any interest in displaying.
Maybe a theatre is interested in it as requisite for a play.
Stab a Nazi with it.
Forgetabilia
I would auction it off and then take the proceeds and give it to an organization that is dedicated to fighting fascism.
The only problem is that would likely lead to an actual Nazi getting it.
I'd rather fall on the blade than give it to a Nazi.
I think it's better to take the Nazi's money and use it for good. YMMV. Whatever you do will be fine, I'm sure.
Would that be so bad, though? The Nazi wastes money on a useless decorative blade and you get to take some money from a Nazi that might otherwise have gone to something worse.
There was a similae IASIP episode
Donate it to a museum with a sterling reputation or destroy it. Sounds like there's no value to a museum, so that leaves one option. Take it to someone who can melt it down in front of you to make sure it's not sold on a black market.
My mom & her brothers were arguing over family silverware. The older of my two uncles just took the silverware case & disappeared with it.
That year for Christmas, every immediate family received a custom made ring made from the melted silverware.
They’re not anything valuable. They look handmade & some of the pieces were outright ugly, but it worked.
We all still have that silverware & it means a lot to all of us.
To OP, completely understand you might not want jewelry made from a nazi knife, but maybe there’s an option to do something worthwhile while that melted metal, rather than just scrapping it?
If nothing else, you could encase a copy of mein kampf in the metal & have a fancy ass doorstop you can kick around.
“Is that a brick of silver holding your door open?”
“Nope. It’s a deactivated copy of that hitler book.”
Donate it to a museum
But it’s ok to have a little fun when you do.
Watch It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia S01E06
You should destroy history because when you do, it's like it never happened(and will never happen again) /s
lots of collectors that aren't Nazis, maybe sell it
The real trick is in finding the genuine collector, and not just another Nazi in a collector’s Trenchcoat.
Modify it so that it looks like a Jew out of a Tarantino film took it from a Nazi and made it his own to kill Nazis with it.
You could de-nazi it. Use a Dremel/rotary tool to take off all the Nazi shit.
Melt it down and turn it into something that can be used for good, not to harm.
send a gift to Bert kreischer
Use it as a cassus belli and invade Germany.
OP can you post a picture of it. I'm curious how it could be modified.
I don't have any pictures of it and can't take any right now but I have a link to a website showing the same blade.
If you want to give it away, look for a museum. Alternatively look for a history group or a theater group you could give it to. Turning a real world items into functional stage props with connection to the time period of plays is is pretty neat.
Donate it to an Escape room or some artsy installation that's set in that time.
I know the gutteral instinct is to burn it, or melt it down. But I think you should donate it to your local history muesem. This applies for all war stuff you have, not just nazi stuff.
I think its important for all generations to not be allowed to forget what did happen, and what could absolutely happen again if we forget.
Sure, it's "your" sword, but I just feel like it should serve a more important purpose.
It's not historic, though. If that were the case, I would've 100 % agreed.
All war used uniforms/weapons/equipment I'd say is historic. Even if it was just a helmet used in the civil war, or a soldiers flask in WWI.
It may not be individually a talking point for something historic, but it shows what they used at the time. Especially if you have multiple pieces from the same time period.
And as time goes on, it gets more important. Because as time moves forward, and we have so many advancements in our world, this piece will not advance. Always a visualisation of its time.
Right now I don't think anyone would consider pieces from the afghanistan war to be "historic", but the things we currently see as modern, will be relics in 100 years.
We're barely and I mean BARELY getting to that point of the Viet Nam war pieces seeming as relics.
I think a good rule of thumb is "if the soldiers who would have used the item would have died of old age by now, THEN it's a relic."
Which this certainly is. Which is why I think it should be in a glass case, with a little description on its history.
Paint a big red x over the symbols
Destroy it.
Is it actually from that period though ? Donate to a museum if so if you're saying it was made within 20 years then to me it has no value. That is way recent and not even affiliated with world War 2