The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia From Things of Tyranny to Troubled Treasure

"This is a corner of the technology of the Third Reich that can still be appropriated, when the larger and more complex technology has for the most part disappeared into museums. Hughes has produced an intelligent and detailed account of a materiality that refuses to become merely a part of the past." - Richard Overy, University of Exeter, Technology and Culture

"The book will be of particular interest to scholars following contemporary trends in Nazi-era studies such as the archaeology of everyday sites of genocide, the looting of not only fine arts but an array of objects that constituted the violent transfer of wealth during the war, and the exploration of material culture more broadly. It also complements scholars interested in exploring areas of collecting that are ethically problematic, such as memorabilia from the Confederacy in the American South." - Paul Jaskot, Duke University, Journal of Contemporary Archaeology

"Michael Hughes has written a probing, ambitious book that makes plain the quandaries of Nazi memorabilia collections." - Christopher J. McNulty, Northeastern University Boston, Journal of Military History

"The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia is a well-written and thoroughly researched study offering valuable connections between the present and the past that will appeal to all historians, social scientists, those interested in collecting and in material culture, and likely many more." - Melissa Etzler, Butler University, German Studies Review

"An ambitious, engaging, and important work on the origins, histories, and purposes of Nazi medals and badges and their societal contexts during and after World War II." - Robert M. Ehrenreich, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Winterthur Portfolio

"The material culture of the Third Reich is the subject of The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia, a thought-provoking new study by Michael Hughes. For all the scholarly works examining various forms of Nazi propaganda, such as films, art, architecture, radio, and posters, this is the first book of its type, and Hughes deserves praise for his pioneering effort. Without question, this is an expansive subject that warrants further scholarship" - Jeffrey Luppes, Indiana University South Bend, German Politics and Society

"Michael Hughes's The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia certainly brings to the fore the huge moral challenge which the existence of these objects in private hands represents and why we should care about this topic, both as scholars and as citizens." - Natalie Scholz, University of Amsterdam, Journal of Central European History

"The study is aimed primarily at contemporary historians, extremism researchers, and political scientists..it offers a wealth of interesting material and worthwhile observations. The author repeatedly argues in favour of public ownership of Nazi artifacts, arguing that state museums are obligated to provide (political) education and should strive to break the aura surrounding these exhibits through staging in their displays." - Thomas Weissbrich, Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, H/Soz/Kult December 2024