BRITAIN:A bottle of Nazi wine from a collection understood to have been given to Adolf Hitler's officers to mark his 54th birthday is to be auctioned today.
The bottle of Schwarzer Tafelwein, labelled Führerwein, is dated 1943. Its label shows a picture of the dictator in a suit and tie, with a Nazi symbol, an eagle with wings spread, and the swastika, the ancient symbol adopted by the Nazi Party which was in power in Germany from 1933 until the country was defeated at the end of the second World War.
The rare bottle was found in a garage in France and sold to an anonymous buyer in Devon, England, who is hoping the unopened bottle will fetch up to £500 (€747) at auction in Plymouth. Although the bottle neck is sealed with what appears to be wax, it is probably undrinkable because of age.
Auctioneer Paul Keen said: "I have never seen or heard about anything like this in my 20 years as an auctioneer. Not only is it unusual, it is also extremely rare to find. I have no moral issue in selling it on - it is merely an interesting piece from a period of history. It is the sort of thing which should appeal to collectors of Nazi wartime memorabilia. We understand that these bottles were given out to Hitler's top-ranking officers on his birthday."
According to decanter.com, the website of Decanter magazine, there is an enduring interest in wine-related fascist memorabilia. Italian producer Alessandro Lunardelli recently caused controversy by selling wines themed with Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini labels to German tourists in Italy.
The sale starts at Plymouth Auction Rooms in Devon, at about 10.30am today.