I loooove fleamarkets. I always get excited looking at the dinghy, used items. It is one of the things I like about Vienna, that is, the familiarity and the smell of old things–from old furniture to secondhand CDs–being sold again to those people who are interested.

I love the idea of “trash to others but treasure to some” instead of just throwing the things away.

Today, Schwedenplatz was once again crowded due to this usual, almost monthly, one-day fleamarket.

The last time I was there I found a wooden figure of a Japanese geisha and a funny-looking candle-holder sold one euro each. It sounds so kitschy but I still find myself adoring them.

So browsing the stalls I found one that sold books and newspapers that dated from 1920s till 1950s. Yep, you guess it right the owners were selling reading materials propagating Nazi ideology.

At first I was just “assuming” by way of the titles but to think that they were there for public consumption was perplexing. I asked the salesperson, a massive dark-haired man, how much the books cost. I handed him the “Indogermanisches Bekenntnis” by Walther Wüst.

He was amused while he asked the owner of its price.

The owner had a serious face.

“10 euros!” She said explaining the books’ significance. I mean, seriously??? 10 euros for this book? I shook my head showing my disagreement. I got Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” for measly 50 cents.

“Okay, 8 euros for you!” The man whispered trying to woo me back.

“I think that’s too much.” I said.

Unfortunately the view of these reading materials disturbed one passer-by, notably an old woman in his 60s. Agitated, she demanded why the hell these books were sold in open, as if they were just “normal” books. (Were they not?)

“I cannot understand that books about Nazi-ism exist in your items!” Her voice was so loud that a couple of old men was making fun of her “accusation.”

“Where? Where?? There are newspapers, yes, but not really about Nazi!” The stall owner defended her products.

The old woman walked away, feeling disappointed. She said something I didn’t understand.

I didn’t know what to say. But how could the owner explain the number of books bearing titles such as “The True History of Germania” or even the obvious “The Eternal Germany.” If you open the book you can see Heinrich Himmler and the SS symbol on the dedication page. Someone told me it is not forbidden to sell these kinds of book. It just reminds me of the Nazi paraphernalia and symbolism that interests many people including the Asians. (Warning: the link will lead to some racy pictures.)

To defeat the enemy is to know the enemy but what if you are weak-brained and easily convinced of the teachings written on the book? There lies the dilemma between consuming to know and understand and consuming to justify.

One of the customers asked which organisation is gonna be the recipient of the proceeds.

“Tierschutz.” The salesperson replied.

“Uh-huh.”

It was a very amusing day, I told myself. Next date will be the third of May, tentatively.