Nazi memorabilia for sale at Auckland antiques shop 'offensive'

Thursday, 4 July 2019

Nazi memorabilia is on display and on sale in a west Auckland store

Knives with swastika emblems are among a range of Nazi paraphernalia on sale at Auckland antique shop Just Plane Interesting.

The West Auckland shop is selling swastika knives and rings, uniforms with Nazi insignia, and SS helmets.

Golliwog dolls were also seen for sale.

A cap bearing the infamous 'Death's Head' emblem sits on a mannequin. The Death's Head emblem was worn by units administering the Nazi concentration camps.

Raymond May has owned the shop for more than 20 years. He previously told Stuff people ring him every day and bring items in. He decided what he wanted to display in his store based on how bizarre and unique it was.

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Just Plane Interesting owner Raymond May holds a World War II gas mask designed for toddlers and babies.

The memorabilia was still up on display when Stuff visited the shop on Thursday.

A military uniform had been taken down after RNZ published a story on the store, but rings, knives and a different military uniform with Nazi insignia was still up.

Just Plane Interesting said they sold memorabilia from World War || every day.

Memorabilia was sold every day, a shop assistant said, and rings were popular.

The rings sold for $45 each and the knives between $150-$200.

A sign in the shop warned visitors that they were in an area that dealt with World War II history.

'We don't wish to offend but we are an antique shop that deals in items from the past,' it said.

RSA president BJ Clark said people had served in conflict to enable freedom of speech but there was a responsibility to make sure that it didn't cause upset or pain for the public.

Clark said it was obvious that the memorabilia had upset and caused offence to the Jewish community and other members of the public and that wasn't OK.

He said it was 'regretful' that more consideration wasn't taken into account.

Recent events, such as the Christchurch terror attack, showed the importance of being considerate to everyone in society, he said.

New Zealand Jewish Council president Stephen Goodman told RNZ the items were offensive.

'While it's not illegal in New Zealand, it is very offensive that people are making money out of the suffering of others,' Goodman said.

'And it is very disrespectful to the New Zealand troops who fought against the Nazi regime that people think they can profit out of the symbolism of a regime which killed six million Jews, plus a number of others from the LGBT group, through to those with disabilities, to gypsies to others.'

In 2005, Trade Me banned the sale of Nazi memorabilia.

At the time, its business manager Mike O'Donnell said the history associated with Nazism made banning the sale of the items an easy decision.

The sale of Nazi memorabilia is prohibited in some European countries, including Germany and France.

May has been contacted for further comment.