Alexander Historical Auctions sold the watch. It has three written dates: April 20, 1889; Hitler’s date of birth, January 30, 1933; the day the dictator was appointed chancellor of Germany and on March 5, 1933; History of the Reichstag elections won by Hitler’s political party NSDAP.
According to the auction house, the dictator received the watch as a gift on his 44th birthday. It is said to have been captured by a French soldier on May 4, 1945, when Hitler’s home in Bavaria was attacked. After that, it was sold several times.
During the safe where the watch was sold this week, all kinds of other items from the Nazi period were hammered. Several paintings by Hitler, a dress designed by his wife Eva Braun and a yellow Star of David, could have been bid.
Reviews of the auction
The Jewish community criticized the sale of the material in advance. A group of 34 Jewish leaders wrote an open letter to Alexander’s historic auctions to express their outrage. The auction house rejected this criticism because it was, in their view, “a piece of history”.
The watch was expected to make between $2 and $4 million, but that was much less. The identity of the new owner has not been revealed.
