Harlan Crow, real estate mogul and benefactor to the GOP, is now under scrutiny for his extensive collection of Nazi artifacts.
Crow, was reported to have been ProPublica Thomas was featured in an article published by the Dallas Morning News on Saturday, which revealed that Thomas had given him undisclosed luxury vacations and rides on his personal yacht and plane. It highlighted his immense assembly of items from the Third Reich, including two of Adolf Hitler’s paintings, a copy of “Mein Kampf” signed by the dictator himself and dozens of Nazi medallions, swastika-embossed linens and other objects.
New reports of the collection and Crow’s relationship with Thomas have quoted former guests who took issue with his Nazi memorabilia and further sparked debate online over whether or not it’s appropriate for the real estate mogul to maintain them.
“I still can’t get over the collection of Nazi memorabilia,” one person who has been to Crow’s home told The Washingtonian In a Friday story. “It would have been helpful to have someone explain the significance of all the items. Without that context, you sort of just gasp when you walk into the room.”
Many on social media called it tasteless and inappropriate at best to keep a private Nazi collection — and potentially dangerous at worst.
“Most folks exposed to Harlan Crow’s ‘collection’ of Nazi s–t will be repulsed,” wrote writer-producer David Dault. “But a few will be curious. ‘Well, what do you think about it?’ Harlan will ask. It’s rare these days that Nazis can openly recruit. That doesn’t mean they’re not recruiting.”
Elsewhere in his collection of historical memorabilia, Crow keeps an array of statues in his garden that he calls the “Garden of Evil,” which includes statues of infamous authoritarians like Josip Tito and Josef Stalin. Crow declined to discuss the details of all the artifacts but stated that they were removed from public areas after being toppled. His collection also serves to remind people of the horrors of authoritarianism.
Meg Pillow, co-editor of Roxane Gay’s newsletter The Audacity, rejected arguments that placing items like Nazi artifacts and his Garden of Evil out in public alongside artifacts from other figures such as George W. Bush had notable historical or cultural value.
“Consider Crow’s decision to have Nazi memorabilia alongside other powerbrokers. Next, consider Germany’s decision to commemorate the Holocaust. They memorialize the victims, not the aggressors,” Pillow wrote. “We need to stop valorizing people who protect the stories and artifacts of the rich and the powerful and valorize the people who protect the stories of the people who the powerful have murdered and tried to erase.”
Read Pillow’s full thread below:
The Nation correspondent Elie Mystal was also among those raising concern over Crow’s collection, implying that ownership of the Third Reich items make him a Nazi sympathizer. “There is a serious discussion happening in the year 2023 about whether being friends with a Nazi sympathizer is a good thing,” Mystal wrote. “Republicans literally can’t even be bothered to pretend anymore about what they’re about.”
Crow, however, was defended against these accusations by Jonah Goldberg who is editor-in chief of The Dispatch. Heatedly respond to Mystal: “You have no clue what you’re talking about and I will always remember that you joined a mob like this. Harlan Crow does not sympathize with Nazis and should be shamed for suggesting that. Disgusting, ignorant, and shameful.”
Former Trump Administration Counselor weighs in with his argument Mark Paoletta Crow was noted to have hosted several prominent House Democrats including Hakeem Jeffries (Minority Leader), at his office building earlier in the year.
