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Discover the hidden history of what happened to Hitler’s and other Nazi leaders’ belongings after World War II. From personal items, uniforms, and documents to treasures seized by the Allies – learn the fascinating story of how these objects were handled, where they ended up, and why they still spark interest today.
📖 In this video, you’ll find out:
What happened to Hitler’s personal possessions after 1945
How the Allies dealt with Nazi leaders’ valuables and archives
Where Nazi memorabilia and artifacts can be found today
Why these objects remain controversial in modern history
🔔 Subscribe for more untold history stories and rare insights into World War II.
#WWII #History #Hitler #NaziGermany #WarHistory
📖 In this video, you’ll find out:
What happened to Hitler’s personal possessions after 1945
How the Allies dealt with Nazi leaders’ valuables and archives
Where Nazi memorabilia and artifacts can be found today
Why these objects remain controversial in modern history
🔔 Subscribe for more untold history stories and rare insights into World War II.
#WWII #History #Hitler #NaziGermany #WarHistory
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LearningTranscript
00:00After the collapse of the Third Reich and the subsequent capture of many of its leaders,
00:04a great mystery arose regarding the fate of their personal belongings.
00:09After the Nuremberg trials and the executions of several high-ranking Nazis,
00:13the bodies were secretly cremated to prevent the creation of shrines,
00:17and their belongings were confiscated by the Allies.
00:20Some of these items ended up in museums or historical archives,
00:24but many others over time wound up on the black market or at auctions,
00:28where objects with a sinister past attracted collectors willing to pay exorbitant sums.
00:34Among the most striking items that have come to light
00:36are the luxurious Marshall's batons of Hermann Göring,
00:40symbols of his megalomania sold at private auctions for millions.
00:44The existence of Heinrich Himmler's personal SS ring,
00:48an exclusive piece awarded to select members and recovered after his suicide,
00:52has also been documented.
00:54Various luxury automobiles used by Nazi leaders,
00:57such as armoured Mercedes-Benz vehicles,
01:00have been restored and auctioned off by collectors in Europe and the United States.
01:05Historical recovery.
01:06What happened to the belongings of those executed in Nuremberg?
01:10After the end of World War II,
01:12a process began in Europe to try and convict the top leaders of Nazism and their collaborators.
01:18Several countries organised their own trials,
01:20but the main figures of the Third Reich were put on trial in the German city of Nuremberg,
01:25and 12 of them were sentenced to be hanged.
01:28Adolf Hitler, Josef Goebbels, and Heinrich Himmler had fallen during the final days of the war,
01:34so the international press spotlight focused on Hermann Göring,
01:38supreme commander of the Luftwaffe, that is, the German Air Force,
01:41president of the Reichstag,
01:43and officially Hitler's successor until a few days before the Führer's death.
01:47Goehring was arrested by American troops on May 6th, 1945,
01:52and became the most sought-after figure during the Nuremberg trials.
01:56The tribunal, formed in October of that year by representatives of the Allied powers,
02:01had the goal of judging the involvement of a long list of Third Reich personalities
02:05in the crimes committed during the conflict.
02:08For a year, dozens of defendants and witnesses passed through the courtroom in Nuremberg,
02:13including 24 high-ranking Nazi officers who were charged with four counts,
02:17conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,
02:22crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
02:27Of these 24 regime leaders, a dozen were sentenced to death.
02:31Goehring, Ribbentrop, Keitel, Kaltenbrunner, Rosenberg, Frank, Frick, Streicher,
02:35Zaukel, Jodl, Seiss, Inquart, and Bormann.
02:38The latter, Hitler's secretary and party chief, was tried in absentia,
02:42as he was missing and later found to have died while trying to flee Berlin.
02:47Two weeks passed between the sentencing and the executions.
02:50All appealed to revoke the death penalty or, in the event the sentence was upheld,
02:54to be executed by firing squad, since hanging was considered a dishonorable death.
02:59On October 11th, the tribunal rejected the appeals and upheld the sentences.
03:05The next day, the condemned were allowed to see their families for the last time,
03:10and the executions were scheduled for the early morning of October 16th.
03:15Hours before going to the gallows, Hermann Goering died in his cell.
03:19Although it has never been proven,
03:21it is most likely that the poison was supplied by an American.
03:24In 2005, a former American soldier confessed that a woman had given him a fountain pen
03:30with medicine inside, to deliver to Goering.
03:33While Goering lay in the prison morgue,
03:36the other ten, condemned to death,
03:37were hanged one after another in one hour and 34 minutes in the prison gymnasium.
03:42At 1.11am, Ribbentrop entered the gym and was the first to be hanged.
03:47Each was allowed to say final words,
03:49and the most common were patriotic references,
03:51such as in the case of Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop,
03:55who firmly stated,
03:56God protect Germany, and then,
03:58My last wish is that German unity remains
04:01and that understanding between East and West
04:03is achieved and peace for the world.
04:06Others continued to proclaim their anti-Semitic tirades
04:09until the very last moment.
04:12According to German law,
04:13the bodies should have been handed over to the families
04:15within 24 hours after execution,
04:17but the Allies were concerned that the remains
04:20or burial sites of figures like Goering
04:22might become Nazi shrines.
04:25This concern led them to dismiss the idea
04:27of handing over the bodies to the families,
04:29and they decided to cremate the corpses
04:31and throw the ashes into the Isar River.
04:34Previously proposed alternatives included
04:36taking them by boat to the North Sea
04:39and discarding them somewhere in the Atlantic
04:41or burying them in the prison itself,
04:43with the risk that the site would become a place of pilgrimage.
04:45In most cases,
04:47their clothes and uniforms were also burned,
04:50while insignia or jewelry made of gold,
04:52silver, or precious stones
04:54were preserved to reuse the materials.
04:57Other highly symbolic decorations,
04:59such as iron crosses,
05:00often obtained through criminal acts,
05:02were supposedly destroyed and eliminated
05:04to erase all traces of Nazi symbolism
05:07from the face of the earth.
05:09However, there are differing versions about this.
05:13To begin with,
05:13During the time some Nazi criminals spent in prison,
05:17it is known that they handed over certain items,
05:19such as decorations,
05:20silver and gold objects and medals,
05:23as a form of extortion
05:24in an attempt to gain benefits from American guards.
05:28Furthermore,
05:28it has not been proven
05:29that all the precious items
05:31captured by the Allies were destroyed,
05:33as is clearly shown
05:34by the command batons of Goering
05:35and other Nazi generals,
05:37or the ceremonial swords, daggers and rings
05:40that Himmler awarded to distinguished SS officers.
05:44In many cases,
05:44some of these items ended up in museums,
05:47donated by the captors of the Nazi war criminals,
05:49or by private collectors
05:51who purchased them legally.
05:53But there is also a deep black market
05:55for Nazi memorabilia,
05:57where items such as iron crosses,
05:59SS skull rings,
06:00ceremonial daggers,
06:01or simply uniforms
06:02that belong to known Nazis
06:04are bought and sold
06:05for hundreds of thousands
06:06or even millions of dollars.
06:08As expected,
06:09most of these collectors
06:10have enough money
06:11to ensure their privacy,
06:12although they are often pursued
06:14by organizations
06:15dedicated to eradicating
06:16fascist and Nazi symbolism,
06:19as these are considered
06:20fetishistic elements
06:21that promote hate and anti-Semitism.
06:25Still,
06:25there are reports and accounts
06:27that place personal items
06:28of those judged in Nuremberg
06:30in private collections
06:31and used in rituals,
06:33in lodges,
06:34in Freemasonry,
06:35or in secret societies
06:36like the American skull and bones.
06:39The Mandate of Evil,
06:41Goering's impressive
06:42Field Marshal's baton,
06:43which cost hundreds
06:44of thousands of dollars.
06:46One of the most prized objects
06:47of Nazism,
06:48not only because of its
06:49great economic value,
06:51but also for its symbolic power,
06:53was the Field Marshal's baton
06:54of Hermann Goering,
06:55head of the German Air Force
06:57and one of the highest-ranking
06:58Nazi leaders.
06:59The baton,
07:00or staff of command,
07:01has its origin in the rod
07:02received by the consuls of Rome,
07:04which represented supreme command
07:06over each of the command rods
07:08in the bundle of the Roman tribes
07:09that made up the Roman people.
07:12Over time,
07:13these were extended to Roman legates
07:14with civil and military authority
07:16in the provinces of the Empire.
07:18However,
07:19there are also earlier records
07:20dating back to the era
07:22of classical Greece.
07:23This is documented,
07:24for example,
07:25for the army of Sparta,
07:26about which Plutarch reports
07:28that the general Gallippus,
07:29during the siege of Syracuse
07:31in 414 BC,
07:33assumed the role solely
07:34by receiving his staff of command
07:36and general's cloak.
07:38But at the beginning
07:38of the 20th century,
07:40batons and staffs of command
07:41once again became a symbol
07:43for political movements
07:44linked to fascism.
07:46In fact,
07:46the term fascism
07:47comes from the fasses,
07:49harmless sticks,
07:50or rods used by the bodyguards
07:51of Roman dignitaries
07:53to indicate the high rank
07:54of those they protected.
07:56A small axe
07:57was later added to the tip,
07:58but they were never used
08:00as weapons.
08:00At most,
08:01they were used to strike
08:02common people
08:02to clear the way for nobles.
08:05Mussolini took the symbol
08:06of the fascists
08:07to create fascism,
08:08and Hitler copied his criteria.
08:11That's why,
08:11after 1935,
08:13the German Wehrmacht
08:14and the Reich
08:14resumed granting
08:15field marshal batons
08:17to their most important generals.
08:19Most of these batons
08:20were confiscated
08:21by the Allies
08:21at the end of World War II
08:23and are now displayed
08:24in museums
08:25around the United States,
08:26while others were dismantled
08:27and sold
08:28for their valuable materials,
08:30such as gold,
08:31silver,
08:31and precious stones.
08:33In the case
08:34of the lesser-known ones,
08:35they have circulated
08:36on the Nazi memorabilia
08:38black market
08:38for decades
08:39and are highly sought after
08:40by collectors
08:41of historical artifacts.
08:44The first baton
08:44awarded by Hitler
08:45was to field marshal
08:46Werner von Blomberg.
08:48The handle of this baton
08:49was covered
08:50in light blue velvet.
08:52It is currently housed
08:53at the National Museum
08:54of American History
08:55in Washington, D.C.
08:57Later, Hitler awarded
08:58the first Air Force baton
09:00to Hermann Göring
09:01following his promotion
09:02to field marshal.
09:03Although its design
09:04was similar
09:05to the Blomberg baton
09:06with a light blue velvet shaft,
09:08it incorporated the symbols
09:10of the Air Force's
09:11Balkenkreutz,
09:12Balk Cross.
09:13Additionally,
09:14the end caps
09:15were inlaid
09:15with numerous small diamonds.
09:18It is currently preserved
09:19in the National Infantry Museum
09:21in Fort Moore, Georgia.
09:22The next baton awarded
09:24was that of Grand Admiral
09:25Erich Rader.
09:27The handle of this baton
09:28was covered
09:28in dark blue velvet.
09:30It differed
09:31from other batons
09:31in having a chain-link pattern
09:33sewn over the crosses,
09:34eagles, and anchors.
09:36At the end of the war,
09:37it is said the baton
09:38was dismantled
09:39and sold in parts,
09:40as its materials
09:41had extremely high value.
09:43In the summer of 1940,
09:45nine military batons
09:47were awarded
09:47to newly promoted
09:48field marshals.
09:50The handles of the batons
09:51were covered in red velvet
09:52and differed only
09:53by the identifying inscriptions
09:55at the ends.
09:56Later,
09:57eight more batons
09:58of this style
09:59were awarded
09:59to other field marshals
10:00after their promotions.
10:02The first group
10:03was manufactured
10:03for what would be
10:04about 40,000 euros
10:06each today.
10:08Most of these batons
10:09are currently in museums
10:10or private collections.
10:12In the summer of 1940,
10:14three Air Force batons
10:15were awarded.
10:16They were covered
10:17in blue velvet
10:17and had the Balkenkreutz design,
10:19differing only
10:20in the individual inscriptions
10:21at the ends.
10:23Another baton
10:24of this style
10:24was awarded in 1943.
10:27The 1940 Air Force batons
10:29were slightly more expensive
10:30to manufacture
10:31than the 1940 Army batons.
10:34The only additional
10:34naval baton
10:35was awarded
10:36to Grand Admiral
10:37Karl Dönitz.
10:39It had a blue velvet shaft
10:40and incorporated
10:41the symbol
10:41of a submarine
10:42at one end.
10:43It is currently held
10:44at the Shropshire
10:45Regimental Museum
10:46in Shrewsbury,
10:47United Kingdom
10:47and was donated
10:48by Major General
10:49J.B. Churchill
10:50who captured Dönitz
10:52at the end of the war
10:52and took the baton.
10:54But among all the batons
10:56awarded by Hitler,
10:57one stood out.
10:58It was the only
10:59Reichsmarschall baton
11:00which was given
11:01to Hermann Goering
11:02when he was granted
11:03the title of the only
11:04Reich Marshal,
11:06the highest rank
11:06in the military forces
11:08in a promotion ceremony
11:09held at the
11:10Kroll Opera House
11:11in Berlin
11:11on July 19, 1940.
11:13Although its appearance
11:15was similar
11:16to the other 1940 batons,
11:18its difference lay
11:19in its intrinsic value
11:20as it incorporated
11:21exceptional materials
11:23in addition to
11:24the typical precious ones.
11:26The handle was made
11:27of white elephant ivory,
11:28not metal covered in velvet.
11:30The end caps
11:31incorporated platinum
11:32in the inscription band
11:33and more than
11:34600 small diamonds.
11:36The baton was manufactured
11:38at a value that today
11:39would be approximately
11:40150,000 euros,
11:42a small fortune.
11:44It is probably
11:45one of the most
11:45coveted objects
11:46by major collectors
11:47of Nazi memorabilia
11:49as it is a unique
11:50and irreplaceable item.
11:52However,
11:53it was confiscated
11:54by the Allies
11:54and is currently
11:55safeguarded
11:56and on display
11:57at the West Point Museum
11:58of the United States Army
12:00in Highland Falls,
12:01New York.
12:02The Blue Goose,
12:03the story behind
12:04Goering's legendary car
12:06that survived to this day.
12:08In 1936,
12:09Mercedes-Benz
12:10presented the special model
12:11540K
12:13called 540Ks,
12:15a very luxurious
12:16Grand Tourer
12:17based on a chassis
12:18with a shorter wheelbase
12:19of 2,980 millimeters
12:21and with a carefully
12:23crafted bodywork
12:24as it would be used
12:25mainly by the leadership
12:26of the National Socialist Party.
12:29Its price was quite high
12:30at 28,000 German marks,
12:32which was related
12:33to its excellent manufacturing
12:35as well as its scarcity
12:36since only 32 units
12:38of this luxurious car
12:39were produced.
12:41In 1937,
12:42Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering
12:44ordered a 540Ks
12:46in his favourite colour,
12:47a very sober cobalt shade
12:49known as Luftwaffe Blue
12:51since it was the identifying colour
12:53of the German Air Force.
12:54Most 540Ks at the time
12:56were black, green or red,
12:59so Goering's eye-catching car
13:00immediately received a nickname,
13:02the Blue Goose,
13:04since it was very elegant
13:05and had a long hood,
13:06like the neck of the animal.
13:08Goering was often photographed
13:09in the car,
13:10which bore his family's
13:12coat of arms
13:12painted on the doors
13:13and gold plaques
13:14in various parts,
13:16such as the glove compartment.
13:17Some claim that Goering
13:19did not pay
13:19for the Blue Goose himself,
13:21but that the car
13:22was a gift from Hitler,
13:23according to a golden plaque
13:25attached to the
13:25glove compartment door.
13:27The car had all the comforts
13:28of the time.
13:29It had bulletproof glass,
13:31the sides were also armoured
13:32and the body was reinforced
13:34to the point that it was said
13:35to be able to withstand
13:36a bomb explosion.
13:38However,
13:39there was an unexpected problem
13:40upon delivery.
13:41Goering did not fit in the car.
13:43The Reichsmarschall
13:44had developed
13:44a severe morphine addiction
13:46and suffered from morbid obesity,
13:48so the 540Ks
13:49had to be returned to Mercedes
13:51and the company redesigned
13:52the seats,
13:53removing part of the padding
13:54to allow the corpulent
13:55Reichsmarschall
13:56to sit behind the wheel.
13:58Despite all his decorations,
14:00Goering did not devote
14:01most of his time
14:02to establishing
14:03a successful strategy
14:04to win the air war
14:05against Great Britain,
14:07but spent most of his time
14:08confiscating stolen artworks
14:10and other riches,
14:11as well as indulging
14:12in the vice of morphine,
14:13which led to the persistent
14:15disdain of his subordinates,
14:16who called him
14:17Fat Bastard.
14:18Nevertheless,
14:19although he lacked
14:20neither artefacts,
14:21artworks,
14:22nor other luxurious whims
14:23among all his possessions,
14:25the Mercedes 540Ks
14:27was his favourite,
14:28and there are numerous
14:29photographs of him
14:30next to the vehicle.
14:32As the war began to end,
14:33soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division,
14:36the 3rd Infantry Division
14:37of the US Army,
14:38and the 2nd Division
14:39of the French Army
14:40spoke of the discovery
14:42of the famous Blue Goose
14:43as a war prize,
14:44although they knew
14:45that formal rules implied
14:46that an ordinary soldier
14:47could never seize a war trophy
14:49as important as a luxury car
14:51worth over $20,000
14:52at the time.
14:54Even so,
14:55just finding it
14:56was prize enough
14:56for the soldiers
14:57as the beautiful car
14:58was an icon
14:59of the powerful German industry.
15:02Once the Allies
15:02reached the Nazi playground
15:04of Berchtesgaden
15:05near the Austrian border,
15:07the soldiers discovered
15:07that the huge complex
15:09where Hitler,
15:10Goering,
15:10Secretary Martin Bormann
15:11and other important Nazis
15:13had private mansions
15:14had been heavily bombed
15:15by the British
15:16just a few days earlier.
15:18Therefore,
15:18instead of looking
15:19for the Blue Goose
15:20in garages destroyed
15:21by bombs,
15:22the soldiers proceeded
15:23to loot the wine cellars
15:25and liquor cabinets
15:25of Hitler's house
15:26at the Berghof
15:27and those of the other
15:28Nazi leaders.
15:30After all,
15:31that kind of war loot
15:32they could enjoy themselves
15:33and it wouldn't be confiscated
15:35by their superiors.
15:37The Allies,
15:38most of whom had survived
15:39the carnage
15:39of the Battle of the Bulge,
15:41got drunk to the bone
15:42and later estimates claim
15:43they drank around
15:44a million dollars worth
15:46in a single weekend.
15:47During one of the
15:48alcohol-driven excursions,
15:50the soldiers stumbled
15:51upon a building
15:52that had not been
15:52completely demolished
15:53and discovered a garage
15:55inside which was
15:56the legendary Blue Goose.
15:58One of the soldiers
15:59shot the car's windshield,
16:01thinking drunk
16:01that doing so
16:02would deactivate
16:03an invisible explosive trap,
16:05but nothing exploded.
16:07The soldiers were right.
16:08None of them ended up
16:09acquiring the luxury car.
16:11Once confiscated,
16:12it was used
16:12as a staff vehicle.
16:14Major General Maxwell Taylor
16:15used it as a command vehicle
16:17in West Germany
16:18until it was turned over
16:19to the U.S. Treasury
16:20and thus it was sent
16:21to North America
16:22upon arriving in Washington, D.C.,
16:24it carried out a victory tour
16:26where it was presented
16:27as war booty
16:28throughout the country.
16:29Then, in 1956,
16:31it was auctioned
16:32by the U.S. Army
16:33at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland,
16:35and sold to Jacques Tunic
16:37of Greenwich, Connecticut,
16:38who paid $2,167
16:40of that era for it,
16:42a real bargain
16:43considering that in Germany
16:45the car cost
16:45six or seven times more.
16:47In 1958,
16:49Tunic sold the car
16:50to the private collection
16:52of veterinarian
16:53Dr. George Bitgood, Jr.,
16:54who decided to paint it black
16:56and restore the chrome
16:57on the visibly metallic parts.
17:00Bitgood decided
17:01to keep the Blue Goose privately
17:03and only exhibited it once
17:05at the Durham.
17:07County Fair in Connecticut
17:08in 1973.
17:10After the veterinarian's death,
17:12his heirs received the car,
17:14which was exhibited
17:14in June 2002
17:16at the 101st Air Force Reunion
17:18in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
17:21Later, the Bitgood family
17:22sold the car
17:23to Carnlow International Limited
17:25of Guernsey,
17:26its current owners,
17:27with the agreement
17:27that it would be restored
17:29to its original condition,
17:30as it was found
17:31in Berchtesgaden
17:32and painted in the iconic
17:34Luftwaffe blue
17:35that had given rise
17:36to the legend
17:37of the Blue Goose.
17:38Memories of hatred,
17:40what happened
17:40to Hermann Goering's
17:41medals and honors.
17:43Hermann Goering joined
17:44the Imperial German Army
17:46in 1912,
17:47and with the outbreak
17:48of the First World War,
17:49he was transferred
17:50to aviation,
17:51where he quickly stood out
17:52as a combat pilot.
17:53As he accumulated kills
17:55on the Western Front,
17:56his reputation grew
17:57among his comrades
17:58and superiors.
18:00For his bravery
18:00in the air,
18:01he received
18:02the Iron Cross
18:02Second Class,
18:03and shortly after,
18:05the Iron Cross
18:06First Class.
18:07These decorations,
18:08which symbolized
18:09individual heroism
18:10and loyalty
18:11to the Empire,
18:11were awarded only
18:12to those who demonstrated
18:14exceptional merit
18:15in combat.
18:17Goering soon received
18:18other distinctions,
18:19such as the Bavarian
18:20Military Merit Medal
18:21and the Military Merit Order
18:23of the same region.
18:24In 1918,
18:25after the death
18:26of the legendary
18:27Manfred von Richthofen,
18:28the Red Baron,
18:30Goering was appointed
18:31commander of Jasta 11,
18:33the most prestigious squadron
18:34of the German Air Force.
18:36He was also awarded
18:37the Pour le Merit,
18:38the highest military distinction
18:40of the German Empire.
18:41This blue cross hung
18:43from a ribbon around the neck
18:44and was awarded
18:44personally by the Kaiser.
18:46The version awarded
18:47to Goering
18:48had his name engraved
18:49on the reverse,
18:50as was customary
18:51in the final distributions.
18:53It is important to note
18:54that during those years,
18:55having received
18:56the Pour le Merit,
18:58also known as
18:58the Blue Max
18:59due to its blue color,
19:01entailed the obligation
19:02to wear it constantly
19:03in public.
19:05Although it had existed
19:06since 1740,
19:07this decoration
19:08became internationally famous
19:09during the First World War
19:11because,
19:12while it could be awarded
19:13to any military officer,
19:14its most famous recipients
19:15were combat pilots,
19:17the first aces in history,
19:19which greatly increased
19:20the symbolic value
19:21of the Merit Medal.
19:23In aerial warfare,
19:24a fighter pilot
19:25was initially nominated
19:26for the award
19:27after shooting down
19:28eight enemy planes.
19:30Air race Max Immelman
19:32was the first pilot
19:33to receive the decoration,
19:34after which the Blue Max
19:35became known
19:36and coveted
19:37among the other pilots.
19:38This decoration
19:39became so important
19:40that the number of planes
19:41required to be shot down
19:43in order to qualify
19:44steadily increased
19:45throughout the war,
19:46until by the end
19:47of the conflict,
19:48it required the downing
19:49of 20 enemy planes,
19:51an extraordinary feat.
19:53Nevertheless,
19:54the decoration did not lose
19:56its elitist
19:56and aristocratic character.
19:58A third of those awarded
19:59in the First World War
20:00were generals or admirals.
20:03Goering received the award
20:04in 1918
20:05for having shot down
20:0620 enemies,
20:07and he ended the war
20:08with 22 confirmed kills.
20:11After the war,
20:12Goering kept his decorations
20:13as personal symbols
20:15of prestige.
20:16Some of them,
20:17like the poor Le Mirate,
20:18were imbued
20:19with an almost sacred aura
20:20among nationalist circles
20:22in defeated Germany.
20:23With the rise of Nazism
20:25to power in 1933,
20:27Goering became
20:27one of the most powerful figures
20:29of the regime.
20:30Founder of the Gestapo,
20:31supreme commander
20:32of the Luftwaffe,
20:33and designated
20:34as Hitler's successor,
20:35his uniform began
20:36to fill with new medals,
20:37carefully designed
20:38to represent
20:39the supposed glory
20:40of the reborn Reich.
20:42Among the first
20:43in his collection
20:44was the Blood Order,
20:45a distinction created
20:46for those who participated
20:47in the failed coup of 1923.
20:50Goering,
20:51wounded by a bullet
20:52on that occasion,
20:53was one of the first
20:53to receive it.
20:55Later,
20:55he was decorated
20:56with the Nazi Party
20:57Gold Badge,
20:58reserved for veteran members
20:59with significant ideological
21:01and political merit.
21:03During the years
21:03of territorial expansion,
21:05Goering also received
21:06the Sudetenland Medal
21:08and the Medal
21:08of the Annexation of Austria,
21:10symbols of the peaceful,
21:12although later violent,
21:13annexation of territories
21:15to Nazi Germany.
21:16As his power consolidated,
21:18the decorations began
21:19to reflect not only
21:20military feats,
21:21but also his central role
21:23in the machinery
21:23of the regime.
21:25As commander
21:25of the Luftwaffe,
21:27he was awarded
21:27the War Merit Cross
21:28with swords and diamonds,
21:30a distinction created
21:31by the regime itself.
21:33He also received
21:34the Grand Cross
21:35of the Iron Cross,
21:36an extremely rare
21:37and symbolic variant.
21:39Only two people received it
21:41during the Third Reich,
21:42Hitler and himself.
21:44Goering's custom-made uniform
21:45in various shades of blue
21:47was a walking showcase
21:48of honours.
21:49His medals stretched
21:50in multiple rows
21:51across his chest and belt,
21:53topped with miniature crosses
21:54hanging from his neck.
21:56More than a military recognition,
21:57the decorations
21:58had become a display
21:59of his vanity
22:00and his almost princely position
22:02within the Nazi state.
22:03With the collapse
22:05of the Third Reich in 1945,
22:07the fate of the personal possessions
22:09of its leaders
22:10became a story of dispersion,
22:12looting and concealment.
22:14When Goering was captured
22:15by U.S. forces in May 1945,
22:18he carried with him
22:19only a small selection
22:20of decorations.
22:21Most of his treasures,
22:22including uniforms,
22:24ceremonial swords,
22:25marshal's batons
22:26and numerous medals,
22:28had been previously sent
22:29to safe locations
22:30or hidden on private.
22:31Properties
22:33During his detention
22:35in Nuremberg,
22:36Goering managed
22:36to keep a few medals,
22:37although he was stripped
22:38of the right
22:39to wear them publicly.
22:41Images from the trial
22:42show him without
22:43his ostentatious uniforms,
22:45yet still trying
22:45to impose a presence
22:46through his bearing.
22:48He ultimately died
22:49in the early morning
22:50of October 15, 1946,
22:52before being executed.
22:54Many of his original decorations,
22:56especially those he had
22:57in Nuremberg,
22:58were confiscated
22:59by the United States Army.
23:01During the interrogations
23:02and his stay
23:03at the Allied headquarters,
23:04some of these medals
23:05were catalogued,
23:06photographed and sent
23:07to official military collections,
23:09such as the U.S. Army Museum
23:11at West Point
23:12or the Royal Air Force Museum
23:14in London,
23:14although it has been noted
23:15that some of the medals
23:16on display
23:17may be faithful replicas,
23:19others simply disappeared,
23:21victims of looting
23:22or the black market
23:23for Nazi items
23:24that flourished
23:24in the post-war years.
23:26It is known
23:27that several
23:27of his most valuable medals,
23:29including his
23:30Pour le Mérite,
23:31were last seen
23:32in the hands
23:32of American officers
23:33who took them
23:34as souvenirs
23:35or small war trophies.
23:37Years later,
23:38some reappeared
23:38in private auctions,
23:40although their authenticity
23:41is disputed by experts.
23:43The lack
23:43of official documentation
23:44and the proliferation
23:46of replicas
23:46hinder exact traceability.
23:49Part of Goering's
23:50personal archive,
23:51including photographs
23:52in which he wore his medals,
23:54was recovered
23:54and classified
23:55by the Allies.
23:56In these images,
23:57preserved in historical archives,
24:00one can see in detail
24:01the sets of insignia
24:02he used according
24:03to the occasion,
24:04gala, campaign
24:05or diplomatic functions.
24:07In later decades,
24:09certain objects
24:09attributed to his property
24:10were auctioned in houses
24:12such as Hermann Historiker
24:13in Germany
24:14or online after the 1990s,
24:16although irrefutable proof
24:17of authenticity
24:18was rarely presented.
24:20A notable example
24:21is the replica
24:22of the Pour-le-Merite
24:23that allegedly belonged to him,
24:25which appeared
24:25in a private collection
24:26in Switzerland
24:27in the 1980s.
24:29However,
24:29its provenance
24:30was never confirmed
24:31and many experts believe
24:32that the authentic items
24:33were destroyed,
24:35buried or confiscated
24:36by Soviet agents
24:37without any documentation.
24:39The Grand Cross
24:40of the Iron Cross,
24:41due to its rarity,
24:43has been the subject
24:44of intense debate.
24:46Various sources suggest
24:47that the medal
24:47was stolen or destroyed,
24:49although there is a theory
24:50that it was taken
24:51to the United States
24:52along with other confiscated objects
24:54of the Reichsmarschall.
24:56However,
24:57no museum
24:57has confirmed its possession.
24:59The current German government
25:00prohibits the public display
25:02of Nazi decorations
25:03that contain
25:03Third Reich symbols,
25:05which complicates
25:06their exhibition
25:06and registration.
25:08In military museums,
25:09such as the
25:10Deutsches Historisches Museum
25:11in Berlin
25:12or the Imperial War Museum
25:14in London,
25:14similar decorations
25:15are displayed,
25:16but none has been officially
25:17identified as Goering's property.
25:19His ceremonial uniform,
25:22laden with medals
25:22and designed for Reichstag appearances,
25:25was captured by American soldiers
25:26and later taken
25:27to Fort Meade, Maryland.
25:30It remains stored there
25:31without permanent exhibition
25:33as part of the US government's
25:34military historical archive.
25:37The Reich's most expensive railway,
25:39Goering's opulent Sondersug,
25:41ASEAN.
25:42During the Second World War,
25:43Hermann Goering,
25:44commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe
25:46and a prominent figure
25:47of the Third Reich,
25:48had a special train
25:49known as Sondersug ASEAN.
25:51This convoy not only served
25:53as a means of transport,
25:54but also as a mobile headquarters
25:56and a symbol of his status
25:58within the Nazi regime.
26:00In fact,
26:00all high-ranking Nazis
26:01had their own trains,
26:03known as Sondersugs
26:04or special trains,
26:06the most famous of which
26:07was the one used by Hitler,
26:08the Führersondersug.
26:10However,
26:11what made Goering's train
26:12different from those
26:13of other important officials
26:14of the National Socialist Party
26:16is that much of his special train
26:18has been preserved.
26:19The codename ASEAN,
26:21which designated Goering's train,
26:23was used from September 1st, 1939
26:25to January 31st, 1943.
26:29Subsequently,
26:29from February 1st, 1943,
26:321943,
26:33the train was renamed
26:34Pommen 1,
26:35while an auxiliary train
26:36for personnel and vehicles
26:38was named Pommen 2.
26:40The Sondersug ASEAN
26:41consisted of approximately 15 cars,
26:44although its exact configuration
26:46varied according to needs.
26:48Among the notable components
26:49were anti-aircraft defense cars
26:52or flak wagons,
26:53which were located
26:54at both ends of the train,
26:55equipped with anti-aircraft guns
26:57for protection against
26:58both small aircraft and bombers.
27:01There were also generator cars,
27:03which provided electric power
27:04to the train
27:05when it was stationary,
27:06ensuring the operation
27:07of essential systems.
27:08Then came the salon
27:10and sleeping cars,
27:12which included Goering's main salon,
27:14sleeping quarters
27:15for the staff,
27:16and rest areas.
27:18The dining car,
27:19or Salonspeiswagen,
27:20was very luxurious
27:21and was designed
27:23with two dining rooms
27:24and kitchens,
27:25decorated with fine woods
27:26and equipped
27:27with modern appliances
27:28for the time.
27:29Of course,
27:30being one of the most important
27:31generals of the Reich,
27:33the Sondersug ASEAN
27:34featured a conference car,
27:36which also served
27:37as a mobile command center
27:38and was usually used
27:39for strategic meetings
27:41and military planning.
27:42It included instruments
27:43such as radios,
27:45maps,
27:45and other communication
27:46and military planning tools.
27:48Finally,
27:49the train also included
27:50a bathroom car,
27:51a press car,
27:52and other functional spaces,
27:54reflecting the importance
27:55of mobility and comfort
27:57for high-level operations
27:58of the Third Reich.
28:00The Sondersug ASEAN
28:01served multiple purposes,
28:03the main one being
28:04to act as a mobile headquarters
28:06during the most difficult moments
28:07of the war,
28:08allowing Goering
28:09to oversee military operations
28:10and make strategic decisions
28:12while traveling
28:13through occupied territories.
28:15As we mentioned earlier,
28:17Goering had a deep love
28:18for opulence,
28:19luxury,
28:20and art,
28:20so his train also served
28:22as transport
28:22for looted art.
28:24The Sondersug was used
28:25to move artworks
28:26and valuable items
28:27confiscated in occupied Europe,
28:29as well as other assets,
28:31such as coins
28:32and bars of gold and silver.
28:33Ultimately,
28:35Hitler decided
28:36to implement
28:37these special trains
28:38as a symbol of power.
28:40The opulence of the train
28:41reflected Goering's status
28:43within the Nazi regime,
28:44serving as an extension
28:45of his public image.
28:47The train made frequent trips
28:48between Berlin
28:49and Goering's headquarters,
28:51known as Jägerhof,
28:52located near Rastenburg
28:53in East Prussia.
28:54It was also used
28:55for visits to battlefronts
28:57and other official missions.
28:59With the collapse
29:00of the Third Reich
29:01in 1945,
29:03the fate of the Sondersug ASEAN
29:04became uncertain.
29:06Some of its cars
29:07were captured
29:07by Allied forces,
29:09while others were reused
29:10or dismantled
29:11in the years
29:12following the war.
29:13One of the anti-aircraft
29:14defence cars
29:15was identified
29:16in Delitz, Saxony,
29:18and later converted
29:19into a sanitary car
29:20for the state train
29:21of the German Democratic Republic
29:22in the 1970s.
29:25Despite efforts
29:25to trace and preserve
29:26parts of the train,
29:28much of its original structure
29:29has been lost
29:30or remains
29:31in an unknown location.
29:32However,
29:33the Sondersug ASEAN
29:34remains a testament
29:35to the Nazi regime's
29:37use of railway infrastructure
29:38for military,
29:39logistical,
29:40and propaganda purposes.
29:42The craftsmanship of evil,
29:44Heinrich Himmler's
29:45costly engraved weapons,
29:47objects recovered
29:48from the Second World War,
29:49especially those
29:50that belong to
29:51or are closely associated
29:52with Nazi leaders,
29:53are often cult items
29:55for certain history enthusiasts
29:56and collectors linked
29:57to fascist ideologies.
30:00And among the most desired objects,
30:01we find the curious pistols
30:03of Heinrich Himmler.
30:05These were not pistols
30:06that he personally used,
30:07as most Nazis,
30:09especially at the end of the war,
30:10carried whatever weapons
30:12were available.
30:13Rather,
30:13they were handguns
30:14created as recognition
30:15or special gifts
30:16for some distinguished SS officers.
30:19Before getting into
30:20the more widely produced models,
30:22so to speak,
30:23let's talk about
30:24a very particular ceremonial-style weapon
30:26that belonged to Adolf Hitler.
30:28On his 50th birthday in 1939,
30:31Adolf Hitler received
30:32a 7.65mm Walter PP pistol
30:35from Karl Walter,
30:37the famous German gunsmith.
30:39However,
30:39it wasn't a regular Walter.
30:41It was made of gold
30:42and exquisitely decorated,
30:44lavishly engraved
30:45and adorned.
30:46On the white ivory grips
30:48of the handle,
30:48the inscription AH
30:50could be read.
30:52The inscription on the weapon,
30:53crafted entirely by hand,
30:55indicates that it came
30:56from Walter,
30:57who personally gifted
30:58the weapon to the Führer,
30:59as the leader had armed
31:00much of his army
31:01with Walter P,
31:0238 semi-automatic pistols
31:04to replace the Luger P-08,
31:07greatly boosting
31:08the gunsmith's industry.
31:10Today,
31:10it is estimated
31:11that the gold pistol
31:12could be worth
31:13close to $1 million.
31:15Reportedly,
31:16the weapon was discovered
31:17by US Army 1st Lieutenant
31:18Ira Palm
31:19in Hitler's former apartment
31:21in Munich
31:21at the end of April 1945.
31:24However,
31:24in the 1980s,
31:26it was sold
31:26to a private firearms collector
31:28for $114,000
31:30at the time.
31:31Now,
31:32diving into the pistols
31:33linked to the SS Reichsfuhrer,
31:35we must first mention
31:36the famous Sauer 38-H
31:38signed by Heinrich Himmler.
31:40These target pistols
31:41were produced
31:42during the final years
31:43of Nazism,
31:44before the war effort
31:45forced a reduction
31:46in arms operations.
31:48Known to collectors
31:49as Model 38 H.J.P. Sauer
31:51and son Heinrich Himmler,
31:54it is an extremely rare pistol
31:55that was used
31:56in shooting competitions.
31:58Reportedly,
31:58these pistols
31:59were awarded
32:00to German snipers
32:01who achieved
32:02100 confirmed kills,
32:04like a rougher version
32:05of the
32:05Pour le Mérite medal.
32:07Although it is believed
32:08that around 100
32:09of these pistols
32:10were made,
32:11only five examples
32:12are known,
32:13and one of them
32:13was captured
32:14at Hitler's house
32:15in Berchtesgaden,
32:16supposedly gifted to him
32:17by the SS chief.
32:19Some recovered models
32:20were auctioned off,
32:21and the most recent
32:22public sales
32:23have exceeded $80,000.
32:25Regarding its
32:26technical characteristics,
32:28this exclusive Model 38
32:29has a high-gloss
32:30blue finish
32:31with a presentation inscription
32:32on the left side
32:33of the slide.
32:35The left side
32:35of the slide
32:36bears the inscription
32:37Dem Scharfschützen,
32:39followed by an engraved
32:40facsimile
32:41of the signature
32:42H. Himmler,
32:43indicating that
32:44each weapon
32:45represented the favor
32:46of the SS Reichsfuhrer.
32:48The right side
32:49of the slide
32:49carries the standard
32:50two-line
32:51late-production
32:52factory legend
32:53J.P. Sauer
32:54and Son
32:54Sewell-caliber
32:557.65,
32:57which appears
32:58on the opposite side
32:59from standard
32:59production pistols.
33:01The slide
33:02is internally numbered
33:03to match the frame,
33:04and the pistol
33:05has black-checkered
33:06plastic grips
33:07with the Sauer monogram
33:08in a circle
33:09on the left grip panel.
33:11Although at first glance
33:11it looks like
33:12a small standard pistol,
33:14Himmler's engraved
33:15signature and the
33:16small differences
33:16from the common
33:17Sauer 38
33:18turn the weapon
33:19into one of the
33:20most coveted items
33:21by shooters and collectors,
33:22and thousands of replicas
33:24are sold online today.
33:25However,
33:26the Sauer 38
33:27was not the most
33:28exclusive pistol
33:29bearing Himmler's signature.
33:31That title goes
33:32to the Walter P.P.H.
33:33Himmler,
33:34an engraved
33:34and hand-finished pistol
33:36intended to be worn
33:37as a decoration
33:38or for ceremonial purposes
33:40by important Nazi figures
33:41or distinguished SS officers.
33:44These weapons varied
33:45over the years.
33:46Some featured workmanship
33:47similar to Hitler's
33:48famous gold pistol,
33:49while others
33:50were engraved
33:51on one profile
33:51and carried inscriptions
33:53on the other
33:53with varying details
33:55and decorations.
33:56In any case,
33:57and considering the models
33:58that were recovered
33:59or captured after the war,
34:01we can affirm
34:01that the pistols
34:02are in themselves
34:03authentic masterpieces
34:04of Walter engraving
34:06and all carry
34:07the engraved facsimile
34:08of the signature
34:09H. Himmler.
34:11Most of the models found
34:12show that 98%
34:14of their metal surfaces
34:15are fully engraved
34:16in the deep
34:17and traditional
34:17Germanic oak leaf
34:19and acorn style,
34:20chiseled by hand,
34:21with geometric designs
34:23and cross-hatched borders
34:24over the chamber
34:25of the barrel.
34:26The only smooth section
34:27is the upper curve
34:28of the front strap.
34:30The right side
34:30of the frame,
34:31slide,
34:32and barrel
34:32carry the traditional
34:33eagle-slash-end
34:34commercial proof mark
34:36from the Nazi era.
34:38It is equipped
34:38with a set of grips
34:39featuring a beautiful
34:40aged medium brown color
34:42with magnificent grain.
34:44The upper left grip
34:45bears a small
34:46black enamel
34:47double S insignia
34:48inlaid into the panel
34:49and the lower area
34:50features a rectangular
34:51gold plate
34:52with the signature
34:53and inscription
34:53H. Himmler.
34:55The right grip
34:56also features
34:57a small gilded
34:58Nazi eagle emblem
34:59with outstretched wings.
35:01Of course,
35:02today it is very difficult
35:03to find original versions
35:04of these weapons
35:05and the vast majority
35:07are replicas
35:07of varying levels
35:09of craftsmanship
35:09and quality.
35:11Those few originals
35:12have been sold
35:13to private collectors
35:14for tens of thousands
35:15of dollars
35:15and are occasionally
35:16displayed in museums
35:17or historic weaponry exhibits.
35:20Himmler's Grand Mercedes,
35:21the armored limousine
35:22used by the SS chief.
35:24Between 1930 and 1943,
35:27Mercedes-Benz
35:27produced the 770 model
35:29known as the Grand Mercedes,
35:31a luxury limousine
35:33intended for heads of state,
35:34monarchs
35:35and high-ranking officials.
35:37Its imposing design
35:38and advanced technology
35:39made it a symbol
35:40of power and prestige.
35:42The first series,
35:43designated W07,
35:45was introduced in 1930
35:47and featured a 7.7-liter
35:49inline eight-cylinder engine
35:51capable of producing
35:52150 horsepower
35:54without supercharging
35:55and up to 200
35:56with a Roots-type supercharger.
35:58This model could reach speeds
36:00of up to 160 kilometers per hour.
36:03The second series,
36:04W150,
36:06launched in 1938,
36:08featured improvements
36:08in chassis,
36:10suspension and armor,
36:11adapting to the increasing
36:12security needs of the era.
36:15These limousines
36:15were used by figures
36:16such as Adolf Hitler,
36:18Hermann Göring
36:19and Heinrich Himmler,
36:20as well as by foreign leaders
36:21allied with the Third Reich.
36:23The Mercedes-Benz 770 K
36:26stood out for its advanced
36:27engineering and exceptional
36:29safety measures for its time.
36:31The W150 model
36:33incorporated a 7.7-liter
36:35inline eight-cylinder engine
36:37with a supercharger,
36:38producing approximately
36:39230 horsepower.
36:42Despite its weight,
36:43which could exceed 4.5 tons
36:45due to its armor,
36:46it could reach speeds
36:47of up to 170 kilometers per hour,
36:50although it was recommended
36:51to limit it to 80 kilometers per hour
36:53to preserve the tires.
36:54The armor included
36:5618-millimeter steel in the body,
36:59bulletproof glass
36:59up to 40-millimeter thick,
37:01and a reinforced floor
37:02to withstand mines.
37:05In addition,
37:05it featured a retractable steel panel
37:07behind the rear seat
37:08to protect occupants
37:09from rear attacks.
37:11The heating system
37:12directed hot air through ducts
37:14to the windshield
37:14to prevent fogging.
37:16One of the most notable examples
37:17of the 770 K was assigned
37:20to Heinrich Himmler,
37:21chief of the SS.
37:23This vehicle,
37:24delivered in 1943
37:25to the Reich Chancellery,
37:27featured all the aforementioned
37:28armor specifications.
37:30It also incorporated
37:31a central locking system
37:32and additional security measures.
37:35The car was used by Himmler
37:36in various official functions
37:38and remained in service
37:39until the end of the war.
37:41At the conclusion of the conflict,
37:42it was abandoned in Obersalzburg
37:44and later recovered
37:45by Allied forces.
37:47After the fall of the Third Reich,
37:49many of the Mercedes-Benz
37:50770 K vehicles
37:52used by high-ranking officials
37:54were captured
37:54by the Allied forces.
37:56Some were used
37:57by the victorious armies,
37:58while others ended up
37:59in the hands of private collectors
38:00or museums.
38:02Himmler's vehicle
38:03was recovered and preserved
38:04and is on display
38:05at the Sinsheim Museum
38:06as part of a collection
38:08of antique
38:08or historically significant cars.
38:11It is a historic piece
38:12that offers a tangible glimpse
38:14into the power and opulence
38:16of the Nazi regime.
38:18Its preservation allows
38:19for the study and reflection
38:20on a dark period in history,
38:23reminding us of the importance
38:24of memory and education
38:25in preventing the repetition
38:27of such events.
38:29The most expensive helmet
38:31in the world.
38:32Why is it so valuable?
38:34During World War I,
38:35the high rates of head injuries
38:37led the Imperial German Army
38:38to replace the traditional
38:39leather Pichelhaber
38:41with a more effective
38:41steel helmet.
38:42The result was the M-1916 Stahlhelm,
38:46designed by Dr. Friedrich Schwerd
38:48of the Technical Institute
38:49of Hanover.
38:51Inspired by the medieval Salle,
38:52it offered superior protection
38:54for the head and neck.
38:56Its introduction
38:56at the Battle of Verdun in 1916
38:59marked a significant decrease
39:00in head injuries
39:01among German troops.
39:03With the rise of the Third Reich,
39:05the Stahlhelm was redesigned
39:06to suit modern needs.
39:07In 1935,
39:10the MM35 model was introduced,
39:12made of chrome-nickel steel
39:14with a more rounded shape
39:15and lacking the prominent lugs
39:17of the earlier model.
39:18Later,
39:19the M40 and M42 models
39:21incorporated changes
39:22to facilitate mass production,
39:24such as the removal
39:25of certain rivets
39:26and simplification
39:27of the design.
39:28These helmets
39:29were manufactured
39:30in various sizes,
39:31with weights ranging
39:32from 810 to 1230 grams,
39:35depending on the size.
39:37The M35 featured rivets
39:39in the ventilation holes,
39:41while the M40 replaced these
39:42with stamped indentations
39:44to reduce costs
39:45and improve safety.
39:47The M42 eliminated
39:48the rolled edge,
39:50leaving it uncurved,
39:51further simplifying production.
39:53The Stahlhelm offered
39:54superior protection
39:55against fragments
39:56and shrapnel
39:57compared to other helmets
39:58of the time.
39:59However,
40:00it had some drawbacks.
40:01The ventilation holes
40:03could let in cold air
40:04during winter,
40:05and its design
40:06often hindered hearing,
40:07creating echoes
40:08when speaking.
40:10Additionally,
40:11the helmet's weight
40:12could be uncomfortable
40:13during long periods of use.
40:15Despite these flaws,
40:17the Stahlhelm became
40:18a symbol of the German soldier,
40:20representing discipline
40:21and the power
40:21of the Third Reich's army.
40:23The Schutzstaffel,
40:25under the leadership
40:25of Heinrich Himmler,
40:27adopted the Stahlhelm
40:28as an integral part
40:29of their uniform,
40:30but with distinctness
40:31and distinctive modifications.
40:33In the early years,
40:34the SS reused
40:35M16 helmets
40:36from the First World War,
40:38repainted black
40:39and adorned
40:40with specific insignia,
40:41such as the SS runes
40:43and the Totenkopf or skull,
40:45symbols that evoked
40:46both Germanic mysticism
40:47and an image
40:48of death and power.
40:50These insignia
40:51not only served
40:52to identify the units,
40:53but also reinforced
40:54the SS ideology
40:55as an elitist
40:56and feared order.
40:58The Totenkopf,
40:58in particular,
40:59Himmler had roots
41:00in Prussian military units
41:01and was reinterpreted
41:02by the SS
41:03to symbolize their connection
41:04to an alleged
41:05ancestral warrior heritage.
41:07However,
41:08after the war,
41:09some apocryphal historians
41:11coined the term
41:12Himmler helmets,
41:13which has been used
41:14to describe certain helmets
41:15directly associated
41:17with Heinrich Himmler
41:18or with SS units
41:19under his command.
41:20However,
41:21there is no conclusive evidence
41:22that Himmler
41:23had a personalized helmet model.
41:25Nevertheless,
41:26war history enthusiasts
41:28continue to use this term
41:29to refer to standard SS helmets
41:31that,
41:32due to their association
41:33with Himmler
41:34and elite units,
41:35acquired a special aura
41:36or were simply adorned
41:37with symbols
41:38related to the Schutzstaffel.
41:40There are also fake replicas
41:42that have become popular
41:43on the Internet
41:44showing helmets
41:44with apocryphal insignia,
41:46crosses,
41:47or metal decorations
41:48that were not actually
41:49used at the time.
41:51The original helmets,
41:52often M35 or M40 models,
41:55could indeed feature
41:56the distinctive characteristics
41:58of the SS,
41:59such as decals
42:00with runes and the skull,
42:02and were used by units
42:03like the Leibstandarte SS
42:05Adolf Hitler
42:05and the SS Totenkopfverbender,
42:08responsible for the administration
42:10of concentration camps.
42:12After World War II,
42:13many German helmets
42:14were reused by other countries
42:16or ended up
42:17in the hands of collectors.
42:19SS helmets,
42:20due to their rarity
42:21and historical connotations,
42:23became highly valuable items
42:24in the military antiques market.
42:26However,
42:27their display and sale
42:28are regulated
42:29in several countries
42:30due to laws prohibiting
42:31the promotion of Nazi symbols.
42:34In fact,
42:34it is believed
42:35that one of these helmets
42:36may be the most expensive
42:37in the world,
42:39and it is none other
42:39than the one
42:40that belonged
42:40to the very Reichsführer
42:42of the SS,
42:43Heinrich Himmler.
42:45After Himmler's capture,
42:46American forces
42:47entered his villa,
42:48a large mansion
42:49located on the shores
42:50of Lake Tegensee,
42:52which had been converted
42:53into a small headquarters
42:54with reinforced walls
42:56and ceiling
42:56to withstand bombings.
42:59When the Allies
42:59entered the Reichsführer's house,
43:01they did not find his family,
43:03who had already fled,
43:04but the place was filled
43:05with the Nazi leader's
43:07personal belongings,
43:08as well as other valuables,
43:09such as artwork,
43:10weapons, gold,
43:12and extremely expensive beverages.
43:14The vast majority
43:15of Himmler's personal belongings
43:17were destroyed,
43:17although some soldiers
43:19managed to recover
43:20medals, handguns,
43:21photographs, insignia,
43:23and other memorabilia,
43:24which in most cases
43:25would be confiscated
43:26by the authorities
43:27or sold illegally
43:28after the war.
43:30One such case
43:31was that of
43:31Corporal Raymond W. Dicard,
43:33a young American
43:34who participated
43:35in the raids
43:36and returned to the United States
43:37with a very particular souvenir,
43:39one of the famous
43:40black SS helmets.
43:42But this one
43:43had a major difference
43:44from all the other
43:45captured models.
43:46On the inside,
43:47it had the name
43:48of the very Reichsführer
43:49of the SS,
43:50Heinrich Himmler,
43:52engraved,
43:53indicating that it was
43:54his personal helmet,
43:55the one he had used
43:56at the beginning of the war
43:57until the year 1940.
43:59After Dicard's death,
44:00his son donated the helmet
44:02to the Museum of Jewish Heritage
44:03in New York,
44:04where it remains
44:05on display to this day.
44:07And while it has
44:08never been auctioned,
44:09so there is no specific
44:10sale price tied
44:11to this curious item,
44:12it is considered to be
44:13the most expensive helmet
44:15in the world.
44:15This is because
44:17a similar helmet,
44:18which belonged
44:19to a much lower-ranking
44:20SS officer,
44:21was sold for $6,500
44:23at an auction
44:24in New York in 2022.
44:27While that is already
44:28an impressive price
44:29for a helmet,
44:30it is merely a fraction
44:31of what Himmler's helmet
44:32could be worth,
44:33estimated to be
44:34ten times that amount,
44:35even surpassing
44:36collectible helmets
44:37from the Middle Ages.
44:38However,
44:39the Holocaust Museum
44:40does not plan to sell it
44:41and probably never will.
44:42Today,
44:44these helmets are studied
44:45not only as military artifacts,
44:47but also as symbols
44:48of an ideology
44:49that wreaked havoc
44:50in Europe.
44:51Their analysis
44:51provides insight
44:53into how design
44:54and symbolism
44:54were used
44:55to instill fear
44:56and consolidate power
44:57during the Nazi regime.
44:59All the gold
45:00in the world,
45:01the lost treasure
45:02of the lavish minister
45:03von Ribbentrop.
45:05Joachim von Ribbentrop
45:06was one of the most
45:07controversial figures
45:08of the Third Reich.
45:09Although he did not come
45:10from the German nobility,
45:12he managed to insert himself
45:13into the highest spheres
45:15of Nazi power
45:16thanks to a mix
45:17of ambition,
45:18opportunism
45:18and an innate ability
45:20to navigate among diplomats
45:22and authoritarian leaders.
45:24Born in 1893
45:25in Wessel, Prussia,
45:27Ribbentrop had a wandering youth
45:29marked by stays in Canada,
45:30the United Kingdom
45:31and France.
45:33During the 1920s,
45:34he settled in Germany
45:35as a wine merchant
45:36and managed to amass
45:38a modest fortune
45:39which allowed him to enter
45:40exclusive social circles.
45:42It was in that environment
45:44that he met Adolf Hitler.
45:46Impressed by his refined style,
45:48European manners
45:49and international connections,
45:50Hitler brought him in
45:51as a foreign policy advisor.
45:54Ribbentrop rose quickly.
45:56In 1933,
45:57he was appointed
45:57Special Ambassador
45:58of the Third Reich
45:59and later Ambassador
46:01to London,
46:02where he unsuccessfully
46:03tried to forge an alliance
46:04between Germany
46:05and the United Kingdom.
46:06In 1938,
46:08Hitler appointed him
46:09Minister of Foreign Affairs,
46:11a position he held
46:12until the collapse
46:12of the Nazi regime
46:14in 1945.
46:16As the Reich's
46:16foreign minister,
46:17Ribbentrop played
46:18a crucial role
46:19in the regime's
46:20international relations.
46:22He was the chief architect
46:23of the German-Soviet
46:24Non-Aggression Pact,
46:25also known as
46:26the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact,
46:28signed on August 23, 1939.
46:31This agreement
46:32temporarily sealed peace
46:33between two irreconcilable
46:35ideological enemies,
46:37Nazi Germany
46:38and Stalin's Soviet Union.
46:40Its secret clause,
46:42which divided Eastern Europe
46:43into spheres of influence,
46:45was the direct trigger
46:46for the invasion of Poland
46:47and the outbreak
46:48of World War II.
46:50Ribbentrop also participated
46:51in the diplomatic coordination
46:53that justified
46:53the occupation of Austria
46:55and Czechoslovakia,
46:56and was a staunch defender
46:58of German territorial expansion
46:59under the concept
47:00of Lebensraum.
47:02However,
47:02beyond his role
47:03as minister,
47:04Ribbentrop was also
47:05a symbol of the unbridled luxury
47:07and systematic plundering
47:09that characterised
47:10many Nazi leaders.
47:12During the war,
47:13he surrounded himself
47:14with a lifestyle
47:15that brutally contrasted
47:16with the destruction
47:17and suffering
47:18of the European people.
47:20He lived in a lavish villa
47:21in Berlin,
47:22decorated with 18th century
47:24French furniture,
47:25Persian rugs,
47:26Renaissance tapestries,
47:27and an extensive collection
47:29of stolen artworks.
47:30His personal wine cellar
47:32contained more than 400 bottles
47:34of high-end wines,
47:35including Chateau Lafitte
47:36and Chateau Margaux,
47:38confiscated from Jewish collections
47:40or seized in France
47:41during the occupation.
47:43Ribbentrop was one
47:44of the main beneficiaries
47:45of the cultural looting programme
47:47orchestrated by the Nazis.
47:49Every time a treaty was signed
47:50or a new embassy
47:51was inaugurated,
47:52he demanded a valuable piece of art
47:54as a diplomatic gift,
47:56regardless of its origin.
47:57Post-war reports reveal
48:00that a significant part
48:01of his wealth
48:02came from the direct plundering
48:03of Jewish properties
48:04and European museums.
48:06It wasn't just about
48:07financial ambition,
48:09but also about
48:10personal validation.
48:11Ribbentrop,
48:12who had purchased
48:13his noble title
48:14by marrying Annelies Henkel,
48:16daughter of a champagne magnate,
48:18longed for recognition
48:19from European aristocratic elites.
48:22His diplomatic parties
48:23were carefully choreographed events,
48:25with foreign guests,
48:26orchestras, crystal glasses,
48:28and exquisite delicacies,
48:30all while systematic crimes
48:32against humanity
48:32were being committed
48:33in concentration camps.
48:35The fall of the Third Reich
48:37reached him in May 1945.
48:40He was captured
48:40by British troops
48:41and brought to trial
48:42before the International
48:43Military Tribunal
48:44at Nuremberg.
48:46During the trial,
48:47Ribbentrop tried to minimise
48:48his responsibility,
48:50presenting himself
48:51as a mere bureaucrat
48:52who followed orders.
48:54But the evidence
48:54was overwhelming.
48:55He had actively participated
48:57in the planning
48:58of aggressive wars,
48:59the implementation
49:00of anti-Semitic policies,
49:02and the cultural
49:02plundering of Europe.
49:04He was found guilty
49:05on all counts,
49:06crimes against peace,
49:08war crimes,
49:08and crimes against humanity.
49:10The Tribunal determined
49:11that his role
49:12as foreign minister
49:13was essential
49:14in consolidating
49:15Nazi domination
49:16over the continent.
49:17On October 16, 1946,
49:20he was executed
49:21by hanging.
49:22Ironically,
49:23the man who had toasted
49:24for years with silver goblets
49:26to the successes
49:26of the Third Reich
49:27was the first to be called
49:28to the gallows
49:29at Nuremberg.
49:30He was 53 years old.
49:32After his death,
49:33many of the objects
49:34he had collected
49:35mysteriously disappeared.
49:37Only a fraction
49:38was recovered
49:38and returned
49:39to their rightful owners.
49:41The rest is believed
49:42to have been hidden
49:43by his collaborators
49:44or sold on the black art market,
49:46where some researchers
49:46still attempt
49:47to trace their whereabouts.
49:48To this day,
49:50informal auctions
49:51continue to appear,
49:53where silverware,
49:54goblets,
49:54medals,
49:54and other items
49:55linked to this lavish diplomat
49:57are sold.
49:58However,
49:59in 1946,
50:00the Allies found
50:01von Ribbentrop's
50:02real stash
50:03in a building
50:03he had illegally rented.
50:05The small villa
50:06Schloss Fuschel,
50:07which was a protected
50:08hunting estate,
50:09had been illegally leased
50:10in 1939
50:11to the Nazi foreign minister.
50:14Near the house,
50:15Joachim von Ribbentrop
50:16hid several kilograms
50:17of gold coins
50:18that were recovered.
50:20Two iron boxes
50:21with a nominal value
50:22of more than $10,000
50:23in gold coins
50:24were found there
50:25after the war
50:26by a local resident,
50:27and many researchers
50:28claim that more treasures
50:29may have been hidden.
50:31High in the mountains,
50:32in the area
50:32known as Ossierland,
50:34it is known
50:34that billions of dollars
50:35in German World War II
50:37treasures were hidden,
50:38much of which
50:38is said to be sunk
50:39in the icy waters
50:40of Alpine lakes.
50:42In 1946,
50:44American intelligence agents
50:45found a torn page
50:46from a Nazi accounting book
50:48listing a single hidden cash
50:50somewhere in Austria.
50:52166 million Swiss francs,
50:54299 million US dollars,
50:5631 billion dollars in gold,
50:583 million dollars in diamonds,
51:0093 million dollars in stamp
51:02and art collections,
51:03and more than 5 billion dollars
51:05in narcotics,
51:06a series of treasures
51:07which together add up
51:08to an astounding total value
51:10of 37 billion dollars.
51:12As far as is known,
51:14this immense treasure
51:14has never been found.
51:16For this reason,
51:17many treasure hunters
51:18continue to search the area
51:19and all the places
51:20connected to the lavish
51:22Minister von Ribbentrop.
51:24Up until the year 2000,
51:25decorations,
51:26high-value personal items,
51:28and gala outfits
51:29or uniforms
51:29used by the diplomat
51:31continue to surface,
51:32which is why historians
51:33have not lost hope
51:34that these hidden caches
51:35may one day come to light.
51:37One day when war
51:40is a white man
51:41who has never been
51:42looked forward
51:42by the war.
51:43One day the language
51:44is the high-value
51:45of the flag
51:47of the sea
51:48and the triads
51:49are a little bit
51:50and the way
51:51that was one thing
51:51that was found
51:52that they do
51:53from the war
51:54and the fact
51:54is that they
51:55to the world
51:56of the sea
51:57and the key
51:58and the first
51:58of the sea
51:58and the earth
51:59could be
52:01the same thing
52:01to the land
52:02and the sea
52:03and the sea
52:04and the angels
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