An auction house in Germany sold a collection of paintings and sketches believed to be by a young Adolf Hitler for a combined $450,000 this weekend. The Wielder Auction House in Nuremberg said that many of the pieces even sold for more than expected.
The watercolor landscapes and pencil drawings were made between 1904 and 1922, notes NBC News. The most expensive piece was a watercolor called View over Neuschwanstein Castle, which went for $113,000. Other pieces showed scenes from Vienna and Prague. Another piece was a female nude.
All the buyers wished to remain anonymous.
This is just the latest example of Hitler’s artwork going for big bucks at auction - not because they are any good, but because of the macabre connection to the Nazi dictator. In November 2014, a watercolor from 1914 sold for over $150,000 at the same Nuremberg auction house. Even signed copies of Mein Kampf, in which Hitler wrote about being a failed artist, have attracted attention at auctions.
According to the German DPA News Agency, the work is allowed to be sold in Germany because they do not contain Nazi symbolism. Of course, it’s still controversial, since the majority of the sale is going to the sellers. However, the auction house said that it will give part of its 20 percent commission for each piece to charity.