Nazi grave robbers

[eldenwaff]

Interesting article, has a small section about CG, but most of it focuses on locals who make a living digging graves and selling on ebay


https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2...i-memorabilia/

[JanC]

Off course...gottlieb

But interesting article

[eldenwaff]

Yes, his name has come to be associated with grave robbing - And the sad thing is, I am sure the man feels no shame whatsoever.

[juoneen]

I really didn't get that impression, but feel he was trying to seem noble by his comments.
He is also NOT one of the biggest dealers as stated but has not dispelled the myth. The German dealers dwarf him by comparison among others.

I think they don't mind him being the one to focus on. But back to the subject, those who buy from those who do not cooperate with the graves commission, are the reason it happens.
It would be interesting to see the stats on this operation from gross sales to deaths attributed to amateurs setting off unexplored munitions.

I guess the folks wo had to endure the wrath of the Germans rape of the Eastern European battles, can risk dying for digging, but it doesn't mean all collectors have to support this unholy scenario. It is far different from digging French nepolianic battlefields IMO.

What might be a better way to go might be to get forum volunteers to go there under government supervised archeological reintemrnt squads to do it right and if someone finds a few souvenirs in remembrance of their time helping, that just may be an acceptible alternative than strictly a commercial venture by grave diggers, if Germany would pay volunteers way, and meals etc, it could be a good thing.

[stephen grund]

I don't get all this talk about Gottlieb. I wonder if most of the people who talk bad about him have even watched the show. Everything they find is handed over to museums and the soldier's remains are recovered and given to the proper authorities for a decent burial. What's the big deal, at least the soldiers they find are finally accounted for and maybe the relatives of these poor people will finally know what became of them because sometimes the dog tag is there too.

[eldenwaff]

I really didn't get that impression, but feel he was trying to seem noble by his comments.
He is also NOT one of the biggest dealers as stated but has not dispelled the myth. The German dealers dwarf him by comparison among others.

I think they don't mind him being the one to focus on. But back to the subject, those who buy from those who do not cooperate with the graves commission, are the reason it happens.
It would be interesting to see the stats on this operation from gross sales to deaths attributed to amateurs setting off unexplored munitions.

I guess the folks wo had to endure the wrath of the Germans rape of the Eastern European battles, can risk dying for digging, but it doesn't mean all collectors have to support this unholy scenario. It is far different from digging French nepolianic battlefields IMO.

What might be a better way to go might be to get forum volunteers to go there under government supervised archeological reintemrnt squads to do it right and if someone finds a few souvenirs in remembrance of their time helping, that just may be an acceptible alternative than strictly a commercial venture by grave diggers, if Germany would pay volunteers way, and meals etc, it could be a good thing.

Agree with most, "wrath of the Germans rape of the Eastern European battles" is an odd thing to say though. Germans were not exactly infamous for rape, that low distinction falls mainly to Russians and French colonial mercenaries.

Not sure there is much to be done about it if the market is there, most of these guys are well off the grid, and there are any number of sites they can loot, probably without even breaking any local laws.

I don't get all this talk about Gottlieb. I wonder if most of the people who talk bad about him have even watched the show. Everything they find is handed over to museums and the soldier's remains are recovered and given to the proper authorities for a decent burial. What's the big deal, at least the soldiers they find are finally accounted for and maybe the relatives of these poor people will finally know what became of them because sometimes the dog tag is there too.

Have you seen him ogling over German skulls and clutzing around with leg bones ? He has also talked in the past of his desire to piss on Nazi graves, and in fact I believe he has claimed to have done so.
Everyone knows that he is motivated by 2 things - Profit and self aggrandizement. He is looking for a replacement gig after Pawn Stars, and if haphazardly yanking bones from the dirt is what it takes, thats what he will do.

Get it now ?

[stephen grund]

And the witch hunt continues against this poor man that just has a passion for this hobby..... I will say no more about it.

[eldenwaff]

Lol, please do say more you are some pretty good comic relief !

[VtwinVince]

Gottlieb ist doch nur ein Scheinwerfer Arschloch.

[KLMKsunbunny]

I don't get all this talk about Gottlieb. I wonder if most of the people who talk bad about him have even watched the show. Everything they find is handed over to museums and the soldier's remains are recovered and given to the proper authorities for a decent burial. What's the big deal, at least the soldiers they find are finally accounted for and maybe the relatives of these poor people will finally know what became of them because sometimes the dog tag is there too.

i have watched the show, and it was pretty despicable. If you had watched them all, you will know that not everything they find is handed over to museums, and the article in the opening post also states the same.

With all the whining, bickering and crying and playing with helmets for the camera, the real drama of historical events takes a back seat, and we learn very little of it. i wonder who the program is meant to be aimed at? It is interesting that it has polarized many collectors; i think there are those who simply like to collect interesting objects from the war, and those that engage with the individual stories of those who fought, lived and died. Those of us in the second category find the show offensive.

Many thanks to the WAF member who originally posted this article, as i think it says it all....

http://thepipeline.info/blog/2016/01...of-war-graves/

[JanC]

Agree with most, "wrath of the Germans rape of the Eastern European battles" is an odd thing to say though. Germans were not exactly infamous for rape, that low distinction falls mainly to Russians and French colonial mercenaries.

Not sure there is much to be done about it if the market is there, most of these guys are well off the grid, and there are any number of sites they can loot, probably without even breaking any local laws.




Have you seen him ogling over German skulls and clutzing around with leg bones ? He has also talked in the past of his desire to piss on Nazi graves, and in fact I believe he has claimed to have done so.
Everyone knows that he is motivated by 2 things - Profit and self aggrandizement. He is looking for a replacement gig after Pawn Stars, and if haphazardly yanking bones from the dirt is what it takes, thats what he will do.

Get it now ?

Exactly. Couldn't have said it better