Lot 601

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Description:

BUST OF ADOLF HITLER PRESENTED AT THE LAYING OF THE CORNERSTONE OF VOLKSWAGEN'S FIRST FACTORY
Historically important limited edition and numbered brass bust of Adolf Hitler undoubtedly given to the highest ranking officials attending the laying of the first stone in the foundation of the Volkswagen plant at Fallersleben...today's Wolfsburg, Germany. The 30 cm. tall bust (including pedestal) is numbered 1 out of a series of 20, the other 19 copies most likely having been lost over the decades. An inscription in relief appears beneath an image of a Volkswagen "beetle" and swastika which also appear on the pedestal: "Laying of the foundation stone 26 May 1938 For the City of the KdF cars by our superior German LEADER ADOLF HITLER Honorary Citizen of Fallersleben 1938" Some wear to the black paint on the pedestal, else very good. On May 26, 1938 Adolf Hitler laid the foundation stone of Volkwagen AG in the small village of Fallersleben, in Lower Saxon. Five days later, the City of Fallersleben was founded. The city, designed as a home for the workers producing the "KdF-Wagen", was officially named "Stadt des KdF-Wagens bei Fallersleben". On May 25, 1945 the British renamed the city "Wolfsburg", of course not realizing that "Wolf" was Hitler's nickname used by intimates. Wolfsburg remains the headquarters of Volkswagen AG and the site of the largest auto plant in the world. Note: Over the course of the years since 1938 a vandal inscribed the initials of Arno Breker on this sculpture, which cannot at this time be attributed to that artist. Nonetheless, this is a piece of great historical relevance.

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February 10, 2015 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000