The sinister birthday present given to Hitler that revealed Nazi leader's obsession with conquering Europe
A sinister gift received by Hitler on his 49th birthday is set to fetch thousands of pounds when it goes under the hammer alongside swords owned by the Nazi high command.
The present, a luxurious folio decorated with a gold Nazi eagle and swastika, was gifted in 1938 by Adolf Hühnlein, leader of the National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK).
Given just days after Austria was annexed, its pages feature a map of Germany, with its neighbour seamlessly incorporated, and all roads leading to Vienna.
Now the ominous gift is going to auction, alongside swords and daggers owned by the Nazi bigwigs Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Göring.
Dutch auctioneers Hessink's, which is handling the sale, predicted the folio would fetch up to €15,000 (£12,900) from bidders.
Director Bradley Hessink said: 'It's one of a kind, there's no second. It's the only one in existence.
'It's very detailed and high quality.'
An inscription inside is dated April 9, 1938, when emissaries of the NSKK from across Germany descended on Vienna in a show of loyalty to Hitler.
A luxurious folio that was given to Adolf Hitler as a present on his 49th birthday is set to fetch more than £12,000 at auction. It features a map of Germany with annexed Austria included
One day later, a sham referendum was held to legitimise Austria's annexation, which had begun a month earlier.
The map itself captures a brief window of time – after the annexation, but before the Sudetenland was seized from Czechoslovakia.
'I think It's a very important document,' said Mr Hessink.
'It shows who joined and at what time, and that shouldn't be forgotten.'
The blades up for auction include a bronze dagger belonging to Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring, one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany.
A photo survives showing it on his waist, with its ivory handle clearly visible.
Also going under the hammer is a sword found in Göring's treasure stash, which was concealed in a bunker near Hitler's mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden.
The blade can be glimpsed in a photo of the cache taken by US soldiers.
The blades up for auction include a bronze dagger belonging to Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring, one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. A photo survives showing it on his waist
Also going under the hammer is a sword found in Göring's treasure stash, which was concealed in a bunker near Hitler's mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden
Mr Hessink said: 'Their unit was searching the Bavarian countryside for hidden stores of gold bullion in May of 1945 when the bunker was discovered.
'It took them about four days to get all the artworks out – Rembrandts, Van Goghs, everything.
'So there is actual photographic evidence we have retrieved where the sword is clearly visible in the picture.
'Stolen artwork had to be returned, but these swords were not stolen – they were specifically made for Göring.
'So this then became a sort of souvenir for the soldiers to take back.'
The blades belonging to SS chief Himmler include a Viking-style sword, and two swords marked with the logo of the Ahnenerbe – his pseudoscientific pet project.
The organisation, which sought to prove that Germans were part of a superior Aryan or Nordic race, was shut down after the war.
Mr Hessink said: 'This has to do with Heinrich Himmler and his obsession for the Aryan race.
The blades belonging to SS chief Himmler include a Viking-style sword, and two swords marked with the logo of the Ahnenerbe – his pseudoscientific pet project
Photo shows the folio gifted to Hitler on his 49th birthday in 1938
'They wanted to rewrite the German ancestry – the history of how they came to be. They were completely obsessed by this.'
The auctioneer continued: 'There are three swords.
'One is a Viking-style sword, and we've discovered that there is a receipt for it in the German National Archives from Heinrich Himmler.
'The other two swords actually have the Ahnenerbe logo chiselled into the side.'
The Belgian seller is retired and, with nobody to take over his collection, has decided to part with it.
Sales of Nazi artifacts remain controversial, and one Scottish auction house announced earlier this year that it would no longer accept items from the Third Reich.
But Mr Hessink said he had not faced as much controversy in recent years.
'There's always a bit, but I have to say, not as much as in the past,' he said.
He hoped that the price would attract institutions and deter extremists.
The various items have estimates ranging between €3,000 and €15,000.
Mr Hessink said: 'We would like these to end up in museums, we don't want these to end up with fanatics.
'For this reason we have lowered the price considerably to make it more easily accessible for museums.'
The auction will take place on April 24.
