July 14, 2005
A Montreal auctioneer has put four sketches by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler up for sale, sparking outrage and condemnation in Canada's Jewish community. Iegor de Saint Hippolyte from the auction house Iegor-Hotel des Encans said the private auction, which also includes two Christmas messages from the Nazi leader, would take place on 19 July and last only for a few minutes. He said the current owner of the six pieces wishes to remain anonymous, and he declined to say how much he expected the sale to bring. Asked about the morality of selling articles by and from Hitler, he said: "I am simply doing my duty, which is to transmit history to other people and to preserve objects that are important for humanity." Max Bernard, honorary vice-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress in the French-speaking region of Québec, said the political aspect of the architecture is evident in the drawings. "It is a (sketch of a) monument of the Nazi regime, which in itself is offensive."
