What is it like to hold hate in your hand?
That’s a question that comes up when talking with lifelong Columbus resident Mike Caplan about his historical collection. Over the past 15 years, Caplan has accumulated a vast collection of World War II-era antisemitic materials.
Postcards, posters, books, films, leaflets and even government documents are each a piece of a terrifying puzzle in human history. The bulk of his collection are pieces produced by and for Nazi Germany. The items he has have become a historical repository, so much so that it will soon be permanently ensconced within the walls of a Polish museum. And, it’s a collection that started by accident.
Growing up, Caplan, who is Jewish, knew little of his family history. After the passing of his mother in 2009, he decided to try and fill in those gaps. He quickly discovered that he had lost some relatives during the Holocaust, he told the Columbus Jewish News.
As he researched their story further, he came across a 1940 film made in Germany, “The Eternal Jew,” which was antisemitic propaganda “in its highest form,” he said.
“I had never seen anything like this in my life,” Caplan said, with a hint of surprise still in his voice. “I needed to know more, so I bought a book to do some additional research.”
In a fortunate/unfortunate mix-up, when the book arrived, it was different than the one Caplan thought he was buying. Tucked inside this book was a vintage antisemitic postcard.
“That postcard turned my world upside down,” he recalled.
At the end of World War II, the Allies attempted to destroy Nazism across Germany. In that effort, they decreed that all pieces of propaganda should be turned over and destroyed. While many were, some survived. Today, these pieces of a dark part of history are sought by collectors all over the world.
“When I saw that movie and then when I held that postcard, it didn’t make sense to me, this ideology,” Caplan said. “I wanted to see what else was out there and I wanted to preserve it. After the first week, I couldn’t stop shaking my head. I had no idea that these types of things were just available.”
In the early days, Caplan built his collection piece by piece, primarily through online purchases, but as internet regulations have changed that has become harder to do, he said. Now, he deals mostly in direct sales.
“I pretty much know all of the major collectors in the world who are doing this for historical purposes,” he said.
He looks at what he does as a form of historical preservation. Because of the scarcity of these items, it’s not uncommon to see certain pieces selling for thousands of dollars. Because of their high value, Caplan doesn’t believe he is purchasing from, or bidding against, people who want something for neo-Nazi purposes or to celebrate this ideology, he explained.
Caplan’s collection of close to a thousand items is currently located in his Columbus home, but he anticipates that changing soon.
“I’m planning in the next several months to sell all of this to a friend who is in Norway,” he said. “He is putting together a museum in Poland and these will become part of that.”
Portions of his collection have also been featured in the history book, “A Glimpse of Evil,” by Norbert Podlesny.
Usually collectors talk in terms of “prized pieces,” like a prime Spiderman comic book or a Babe Ruth baseball card. But in a collection of this nature, this terminology doesn’t necessarily fit. However, Caplan has one piece that has a special place. And that place is in a binder, covered up, he said.
“I have an antisemitic postcard that has Adolf Hitler’s signature on it,” Caplan said, quietly. “It is strange to own something like that, but I’ve never touched it with my own hands. I know I have it, but I don’t even look at it. It just fits with my collection, sort of ties everything together.”
Caplan believes his collection, and others like it, have a place in preserving history as well as providing education. He explains, “You still have to teach people. Can it (the collection) offend some? Sure. But it’s important to see these pieces in order to really understand.”
Many of the pieces in Caplan’s collection can be viewed on his website where he attempts to not just share images but also provide context. While the focus of the items on the site are German-based, he does have a number of antisemitic materials that originated from 1930s-40s America.
If there’s one thing Caplan has learned while building this collection, it’s that, “There’s always going to be hate, no matter what there is. No matter what you do, you’ll never stop antisemitism. It’s never going to change.”
To illustrate this point, he explained what you can find and where you can find it. While he used to be able to cultivate his collection online on sites like Ebay, their policies have changed to ban selling these historical artifacts.
“Yet,” he said, with a sigh, “it’s strange that you can buy a copy of Mein Kampf there.”
As he considers his collection, Caplan shared what he’s found to be his guiding principle.
“What I’ve discovered,” he said, “is that, at the end of the day, the question is: are you a good person? Regardless of your background, do you have a good heart?”
To view Caplan’s collection, visit germanpropaganda.org.
Noell Wolfgram Evans is a freelance journalist.
