Adolf Hitler's ‘Surprisingly Large’ Used Underwear Sold For $5,500 At Maryland Auction

Adolf Hitler’s linen boxers were sold for $5,500 at the Alexander Historical Auctions in Chesapeake City, Maryland, as part of their “Summer Militaria Auction” on Sept. 14.

The item in question is a pair of striped white linen under shorts that have been described as “surprisingly large,” as per the product description on their website. It is 19 inches in length, with a waist of about 39 inches.

“There are also two pairs of loops sewn on either side of the front of the waist band, whose purpose must have been to support the drawers in some fashion, probably fastening to the pants. It is no secret, of course, that Hitler was, in general, an atrocious dresser and preferred the loosest clothing, according to his valet, Karl Wilhelm Krause,” added the website.

As further proof of the authenticity of the shorts, the initials “A. H.” are stitched on the top-right of the fly. According to New Zealand Herald, the specific pair of shorts was left behind in a suite at the luxury Parkhotel Graz in Austria, following Hitler’s stay there in April 1938. It is believed that the boxers were sent to the laundry to get cleaned and never picked up by the dictator’s entourage before they left the hotel. Later on, the grandson of the hotel owner sold them to the Alexander Historical Auctions.

Auctioneer Bill Panagopulos, who owns the Alexander Historical Auctions, said that there were two kinds of people who come to buy memorabilia left behind by Hitler: "People tend to either buy fearsome Hitler memorabilia, or things that make him look like a buffoon, such as this. To minimize a monster, you make people laugh at him. We've sold underwear belonging to Eva Braun, who was Hitler's wife, before, but never any belonging to Hitler himself. I think this is the first pair to come to market.”

"They were retained in the family who owned the hotel, which is very prestigious, for almost 80 years, and when we got them they were wrapped in tissue paper in a box," Panagopulos added. "They were as clean as if they had just come back from the cleaners. It's a fascinating thing. It's as close as you can get to Adolf Hitler, literally."

The details of the buyer have not been disclosed by the facility, except that they are from the United States. Also according to the Metro, Panagopulos has assured concerned people that he did not sell the item to a neo-Nazi. The auctioneer also believed that the person who bought the item would probably frame the shorts. "It would be the most talked about relic in the house," he said.

This was not the only memorabilia from World II, related to Hitler that was auctioned off at the event. A few other items that were successfully sold off at the auction, included Hitler’s cocktail glass (sold at $950), his monogrammed socks ($750), his handkerchief ($1400), a signed copy of “Mein Kamph” ($13,000) and Patterned silver lobster pick ($1200).