Five ‘Hitler’ paintings to go under hammer in Nuremberg

NUREMBERG, Germany: Five paintings attributed to Adolf Hitler will be auctioned off on Saturday in the German city of Nuremberg, sparking anger that the Nazi memorabilia market is alive and well.

Nuremberg’s mayor Ulrich Maly has condemned the upcoming sale as being "in bad taste", speaking to Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

Among the items to go under the hammer are a mountain lake view with a starting price of 45,000 euros and a wicker armchair with a swastika symbol presumed to have belonged to the late Nazi dictator.

The auction made headlines days before its start after several artworks were withdrawn on Thursday on suspicion they were fakes and prosecutors stepped in.

Sales of alleged artworks by Hitler -- who for a time tried to make a living as an artist in his native Austria -- regularly spark outrage that collectors are willing to pay high prices for art linked to the country’s Nazi past.