Joseph Goebbels' early letters may see $300,000 in US auction

An extraordinary archive of Joseph Goebbels' letters reveals early warning signs

A fascinating archive of Joseph Goebbels' early letters is to sell as part of an upcoming US auction, which will be held on September 27 in Connecticut.

The latter part of the archive reveals anti-semetic sentiments beginning to form

The archive includes hundreds of love letters, school papers and even copies of Goebbels' revolutionary play, Michael Voorman: A Man's Fate in the Pages of a Diary. Documenting almost every aspect of the Nazi party propagandist's early life, this is the first time the collection has ever been offered at auction.

"It sums up the formative years of the number two man in the Third Reich, who was responsible for motivating the masses in Germany to back Hitler," commented the auction house's president, Bill Panagopulos. "In my opinion, it shows how this rather simple, shy and love-struck college student really just became radicalized."

However, the auction house has come under fire from the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, whose vice president said: "They clearly have the legal right to profit here from such materials. I leave it to others to determine the morality of it all."

Panagopulos has since confirmed that the archive is being sold on behalf of a Swiss company and that none of the profits will go to any members of Joseph Goebbels' family.

The same auction house sold the journals of "Angel of Death" Joseph Mengele to a Jewish buyer for $300,000 in 2011. The archive of Goebbels' letters is expected to reach a similar figure, with the estimate set at $200,000-300,000.

Check back with us regularly to see the results of this sale. We also have some items of memorabilia from the Allied forces, including a photograph of the Iwo Jima flag-raising signed by Corporal Charles W Lindbergh.

Recent and related articles

·  1940 Jersey swastika stamps see $25,500 in Chartwell auction | 13 September 2012

·  Anne Frank archive to auction for $30,000 in New York | 20 August 2012

·  1936 Berlin Olympics torch holders to sell for $5,500 in London | 15 July 2012

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Images: Alexander Historical Auctions - Invaluable