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Heinrich Himmler's Third Reich Tapestry
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Most Incredible Third Reich Tapestry (Item HH Tapestry; ART 17-16; SS 36-15)
We at Germania International have brought to the field of collecting the finest and most historically important N.S. items imaginable, but it seems we have even outdone ourselves this time. Now for some interesting background. We have had to put on our Sherlock Holmes cap to investigate this one and call on some of our greatest advisors who are somewhat walking encyclopedias of the Third Reich. One of our advisors, Mr. Johnston, was the man who managed to find and to purchase in the past both the SS-Ahnenerbe tapestry and the SS-Lebensborn tapestry and he did intensive and exhaustive research on both of them. He was last seen to be working on an article on tapestries and their strategic importance to the Reich of Adolf Hitler. The Ahnenerbe tapestry was designed by
-Oberführer and Professor Carl Diebitsch, the founder of the SS Allach porcelain firm. The actual handwork was performed by Elsie Seifert, his sister in Munich, and because of the style of the work, Mr. Johnston believes this Hakenkreuz tapestry was also accomplished by Diebitsch and Frau Seifert. Here you can read a narrative of the relationship between Carl Diebitsch and his sister Elsie Seifert in regards to the tapestry. The article also visits the means in which the tapestry was obtained as well as some detail on the tapestry, itself. Our advisor, Mr. Johnston, takes issue with that part of the tapestry’s history concerning its initial reported location as stated here: “This piece originally hung in the Reichstag, but was removed to Himmler's residence after a fire which destroyed a similar piece.” First, Mr. Johnston is sure the tapestries never hung in the Reichstag. From sources in Germany, he found out that the three-tapestry set that this one was part of hung in the Berchtesgaden Reichskanzlei (the “small” Reichskanzlei). This was the official N.S. chancellery used by the N.S. government and Adolf Hitler for state business when the Führer was in the Berchtesgaden/Obersalzberg area. He was never far away from his work. The Reichskanzlei building in the beautiful Alps was another gorgeous structure like the Platterhof hotel; history-hating government vandals of the lowest order razed the latter building. Thank goodness, the Kanzlei building was spared when it was purchased by a private buyer and now has national-landmark status. Mr. Johnston visited there in 1970 and the beautiful red-marble walls would certainly have been particularly conducive to hanging these wonderful tapestries in the foyer also, considering that all trim including the railings and doorway entrances were trimmed in golden hues. If part of the building was destroyed in a fire, we don’t know; if the other two tapestries were removed to Himmler’s home, that also is not known for sure. Himmler maintained a home in Schönau for his mistress Hedwig Potthast. His other home was in Gmund am Tegernsee and this is the most likely place that he would have had them and this would have been a logical place indeed. We know that the huge, wooden chair that you see at Item HH Great Chair on our site was once in that place. These chairs were presented by Karl Maria Willigut to be placed at the SS Wewelsburg Castle, but Himmler was so enamored of them that he had them shipped to his Gmund home. Therefore, it is much within reason that he would have snatched up the tapestries for his residence as well. I know I would have!!!Now! The other tapestry was offered up for auction in December of 2009, by Affiliated Auctions and Realty in Florida. From this link you can view the details of the auction. The reserve price was exceedingly high; not that the tapestry is not worth it—even more—, but it was the economy that worked against it and as far as we know, it never sold at auction. The reserve price was set at $150,000 and the estimate shown at the auction house was listed at $150,000 to $250,000. We do not know where that tapestry ended up, but images show some serious damage to it. Well, I can say when viewed it certainly looks like it merits the price range stated at the auction site, but keep in mind that the one we offer is in perfect condition and has all four golden tassels. It has been an adventure indeed. It seems the man who inherited it from the 101st veteran saw the other one being offered up for auction and decided to put his (now ours) up for sale. We negotiated with him after he contacted us and we purchased it. We were and are thrilled to own it, even if for a short time; it certainly is a prize museum piece extraordinaire! Nothing, absolutely nothing, that we have ever seen in tapestries or in fact general Third Reich art can start to compare for sheer beauty and importance. If you go to the site at the link at the beginning of this paragraph it will take you to a Paul Fraser Collectibles Newsletter. Note in the image there is some damage in the bottom left-hand corner of the one they offered and the tassels do not show. Did it have any? *Recently, it was revealed that indeed the tassels on thiers were missing. Also, this image does not even start to show the glorious deep, golden color that the piece demonstrates. The tapestry was also shown in Thomas Johnson’s book World War II German War Booty published in 1984. The tapestry is on page 66.
The piece we have is huge and probably weighs about 45 pounds and it is 137 inches long by 77 inches wide “Big” and is difficult for us to hang up for photographing. It has no mounting-rod arrangement or mounting rings nor is there an open sleeve to run a rod through. However, there is a long flap at the top and we believe this flap would be folded over a rod or wall ending and the tapestry would just naturally flow downward and hold its position. *See this flap in the pictures provided. Without providing for the flap, the decorated portion of the tapestry is 98 inches long. This is an ingenious method because other tapestries that suspend from mounting hooks tend to wrinkle and bulge when hung because of the gravitational pull at the extremities. This one would hang like the finest of draperies in a royal palace. So far, we have only the image that the seller sent us showing the piece hanging from his home balcony. We will, however, endeavor to get better images and present them later. We are convinced that this is a Diebitsch/Seifert art creation and it couldn’t get better than that!
PRICE: Price on Request; Serious inquiries only, please.