Hitlers Globe Up for Auction – Nov 13
Published October 16th, 2007
An American soldier John Barsamian, now 91, found the globe in May 1945 in the Berghof, Hitler’s home in the Bavarian Alps town of Berchtesgaden. He boxed it up with a few other keepsakes, including a pistol and a dagger, and shipped them home.
Now Barsamian is putting the artifact up for auction, along with all the military paperwork that allowed him to bring it back to the United States, including a certificate that reads “1 Global Map, German, Hitler’s Eagle Nest.”
Other globes presumed to have been owned by Hitler have been extensively researched for authenticity. But there is no uncertainty about the origins of Barsamian’s wartime trophy.
“This is probably the most airtight documentation I’ve run across in some time,” said Greg Martin, proprietor of the auction house that will handle the sale. “We have pictures of the guy there at the time, standing in the ruins holding the globe like a newborn baby. The guy is a meticulous record keeper.”
The globe to expected to attract bids from $15,000 to $20,000 when it is auctioned Nov. 13 in San Francisco.
Other items up for auction include rare documents signed by Hitler, and a box of cigars that belonged to Hermann Goering, a leader in the Nazi Party.
