Nazi artefacts bearing prohibited symbols are being openly sold in Australia three years after the federal government made it illegal to do so, with vendors saying they are doing so for “educational” reasons. The government in 2023 outlawed the display and trade of items bearing the Nazi Hakenkreuz (swastika) and double-sig rune that was the logo of the Schutzstaffel (SS), after multiple states passed similar laws that banned the display of Nazi symbols and the performance of the Nazi salute. The laws included exemptions for religious, academic, educational, artistic, literary or scientific purposes.
Guardian Australia has identified Australian sellers of military antiques listing German military items, including helmets, badges, medals, officer’s caps, flags and more, that appear to be from the Nazi era and which bear the Hakenkreuz or double-sig rune. The vendors, which include longtime dealers of military collectibles and Nazi objects, claimed to be selling the items for “educational” or “research purposes”. Kurt Coleman Military Antiques, a business with a registered address in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast region, had 25 pages of Nazi-era German military and related items for sale on its website as of this week.
The listings included military booklets, pins, badges, rings, officer’s tunics, officer’s caps and weaponry with visible swastikas and other Nazi imagery. One of the highest-priced items was a white porcelain vase with an embossed Nazi eagle for $2,500. A 2-metre x 3.5-metre Nazi warship “battle flag” was listed for $2,000 and “out of stock”, while a German Hitler Youth knife was listed for sale for $1,820.
While the site’s landing page said he was “ALWAYS BUYING Military Antiques Medals, Militaria, Edged Weapons”, the webpage title – a commonly used field for search engine optimisation – said “Nazi Militaria For Sale, German Militaria, WW2 Militaria, Nazi Medals Australia”. All the items listed for sale at the time this week appeared to be Nazi-related. The website claimed: “All items offered for sale are for educational purposes only.
The seller does not endorse or promote any political ideology, and the items are presented solely as historical artifacts. Buyers are expected to use the items responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws.” The site appeared to have been operating for at least a year. An eBay page by the same name was listed as active since 2019, having sold approximately 44,000 items over that time.
Listings on the eBay page at the time of writing included German war-related items, along with unrelated antiques and ephemera. Coleman has been approached for comment. Henry’s Military Collectibles, based in Western Australia, also had multiple German Nazi-era military items listed for sale, including multiple war merit crosses, belt buckles, and a Luftschutz (civil air defence) helmet.
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