It's a historical artifact. Saying that it would stay cooped up in some vault is probably inaccurate, it'd probably go out on loan to a museum, especially if one was doing a Holocaust exhibit. That particular piece could help dispel some of those anti-Holocaust myths. The fact that it contains the names of 1400 dead might be disturbing, but if the names are listed, it also might help (up to) 1400 families to know, once and for all, what really happened to their long lost relative, if that particular document has never been out in the open before. If it'd make you feel better, you could even take some of that $9 grand and have the names read/translated, and donate the information to a Holocaust site. Either way though, that act was carried out decades ago, nothing about that document is going to bring those poor souls back.
As far as the profit is concerned...enlighten the current owner to its value. If they don't care, then your hands are clean. People do things every day for profit, some of them very menial things. Selling that for a profit is no more evil than, say, placing a nag strip on a web comic to try and make a couple bucks. I certainly wouldn't hold either against you, man must make money to survive.
Now, I guess my real question would be, why is this transaction being kept on the dl by your source? |
