The man was the top bidder for the late Nazi leader’s top hat, his cigar box, his typewriter and a luxury edition of Mein Kampf.
“I wanted to buy these objects so that they couldn’t be used for neo-Nazi propaganda purposes,” said Abdallah Chatila in an interview with Swiss Sunday newspaper le Matin Dimanche. The memorabilia related to the Nazi regime was auctioned off in Munich on Wednesday.
“Far-right populism and anti-Semitism are advancing throughout Europe and the world. I didn’t want these objects to fall into the wrong hands and be used by people with dishonest intentions,” he explained.
The Geneva contractor spent CHF600,000 ($601,640) to acquire ten of the most symbolic lots out of the 800 up for grabs. Personally, he felt that “these relics should be burned”, but he has decided to give them to the Keren Hajessod associationExternal link. The plan is for the objects to be exhibited in a museum, likely in Israel.
“This is very commendable. Abdallah Chatila deserves our respect for his determined intervention,” said Johanne Gurfinkiel, Secretary General of the Intercommunity Coordination against Anti-Semitism and Defamation (CICADExternal link).
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The Jewish cemetery in no man’s land
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How did the largest and oldest Jewish cemetery in Switzerland come to lie in a wooded no man’s land between the villages of Endingen and Lengnau?
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss price watchdog negotiates lower fees for card payments
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Small businesses in Switzerland will have to pay fewer fees for cashless payments from customers over the next few years.
Lakes in Central Switzerland have best water quality for bathing
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Anyone who swims in a lake in Central Switzerland need have no fear of infection from intestinal bacteria. The water samples taken at 65 bathing sites in 13 lakes all have good to excellent bathing water quality.
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Unknown assailants have stolen a historic ring from a Basel museum. The stolen item was a gift from Russian Tsar Alexander I to his host in Basel in 1814.
More May hotel guests in Basel than at any time in past 90 years
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Basel hotels recorded 150,854 overnight stays for the Eurovision Song Contest in May. This corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 8.4%.
Demand remains high for rental flats in Switzerland
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More rental flats are once again being advertised on property portals in Switzerland. However, demand also remains very high.
One in five Europeans exposed to too much traffic noise
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More than one in five Europeans are exposed to unhealthily high levels of traffic noise, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
New living space through densification often comes at expense of the poor
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If demolition and new construction are carried out and tenants have to make way, low-income households are affected more often than average.
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The ceasefire in the Iran-Israel war has visibly eased tensions on the financial markets. The SMI, Switzerland's leading stock market index, has risen above the 12,000 point mark again.
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Bern museum sells Manet from Gurlitt collection
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The Kunstmuseum Bern has sold a painting by Édouard Manet from its controversial Gurlitt collection to Tokyo for $4 million.
Swiss mattress manufacturer linked to neo-Nazi group
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On its website, White RexExternal link describes itself as a “Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, aggressive clothing, and sports gear company that advocates pan-European pride and traditional values.” “White Rex encourages all Europeans to embrace the warrior spirit of their ancestors, and fight back against the modern world,” the promotional text goes on to…
From Nazis to refineries: How Switzerland has handled the world’s gold
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A new book exposes the dark history of gold laundering in Switzerland and the modern challenge of cleaning up a lucrative industry.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.