A globe once owned by Adolf Hitler brought $100,000. at auction last Tuesday, more than five times its pre-sale estimate.
In May of 1945, John Barsamian, an American G.I., found the globe in The Eagle's Nest, Hitler's retreat in the Bavarian Alps. He shipped the globe to his parents, where it resided in their apartment above the grocery store they owned 'till Barsammin got home from the war. In the Years since WWII, many globes have surfaced that supposedly belonged to the Fuhrer, and have required extensive research to determine provenance. Barsamian's Hitler globe, however, was accompanied by irrefutable evidence of its previous ownership, including the U.S. Military certificate required for Barsamian to ship it home. The paperwork included a certificate that reads, "1 global map, German, Hitler's Eagle's Nest." The doccuments also include a photograph of Barsamian standing in the ruins of The Eagle's Nest holding the globe in his arms.
Barsamian, now 91 and living in Oakland, decided to sell the globe while he was still around to tell the story, said his son, Barry Barsamian. The father and son watched the bidding last Tuesday at the Greg Martin Auction. The winning bid of $100,000. came from San Francisco entepreneur, Bob Pritkin.
The Columbus Dispatch 15 November 2007
