Would you hang this in your house?

[Floofparty]

My DH has inherited a framed certificate and medal which was presented to a relative in 1937 when she was a British army nurse. She was stationed in Spain when a German battleship was bombed and she helped care for the injured.

The medal was awarded to her by the German Red Cross with the approval of Adolf Hitler, and his name is very prominent on the certificate - it stands out more than any of the other text. Do you think it’s bad taste to hang this in our house, or is it merely an interesting piece of historical memorabilia?

YABU - guests may take offence or think it odd
YANBU - hang the frame

I voted YABU, but actually, I might hang it somewhere discreet like in a downstairs loo, or a spare room/office.

I don’t think I’d be hanging it in the house regardless of who signed it, any more than I hang my great uncle’s Mons Cross.

Not sure I’d hang it “out in the open”, maybe in a home office or other place not visited by non family? I’m not a huge fan of framed certificates or graduation photos so it might just be me.

I wouldn't hang it up. But that would be the same no matter whose name was on it. I'm interested in history but not to the extent I'd want artefacts cluttering up my walls and making the place look like a museum.

Yes, there’s something depressing about them, like golf trophies.

I don't think it hang it for two reasons 1) not a fan of framed certificates generally (although a historical one is much more interesting and not self-congratulatory), and 2) I'd feel the need to explain it to every guest so they weren't thinking i was a collector of Hitler memorabilia! If you have a home office I'd hang it there personally.

You could donate it to the history department in your local school

I'd offer it to a War Museum.

I'd keep it, that's very interesting family history, but I don't think I'd display it.

We have my husband’ s parents photos and service medals. They refused any other medals awarded to them during the war .

they where always hidden away but we are proud of them , especially his Mothers and they are in the hall, regardless of who signed them or why.

It's history, which is not in itself offensive. There were two sides in the war which most people understand in fairy black and white terms. But this relative was acted in an exceptionally humane way. She cared for the injured enemy. And the enemy recognised her work and compassion. That does deserve respect. I would display it alongside a framed explanation of why she was awarded the medal

Well, it would be offensive to a Jewish person, particularly one whose ancestors were starved and sent to the gas chambers.

No, I personally wouldn't have anything with Hitler's name on it hanging in my home.

No, I would offer it to a museum or local archives.

No I wouldn't hang it.I have several Jewish friends who feel very unsafe at the moment and can't imagine how they would feel seeing that hanging on my wall.I wouldn't even want it - I'd ask a museum if they want it or stick it in the attic.

Absolutely no way would I hang something with his name in my home

I’m a history teacher; I’ll have it it could lead to very interesting discussions about the ethics of war.
I wouldn’t hang it in my living room though

I wouldn't display it (except perhaps in a bedroom or other private part of the house), but if the award was made purely for nursing care, I would cherish it as a piece of family history and I would be proud of her humane work.

We have copy of a 'mentioned in dispatches' certificate awarded to a relative for his nursing work in World War Two. Medical personnel in war zones do amazing work, no matter who they are helping.

This is a historic document, not a judgement, or opinion piece on hiltler, the nazis or the Holocaust. It doesn't celebrate anything to do with that horror. It celebrates the humanity of a woman who was capable of seeing enemy soldiers as people as deserving of care and medical treatment.
In the context of the war and Holocaust, where the allied soldiers, Jewish people, black people, gay people,

Romani people and disabled people were all dehumanised,
This nurse was capable of doing what the nazis were not. She deserves to be celebrated.

This

@SethTrek I agree with your sentiments and I too would display the item for its historic interest and celebration of my relatives actions. But just a question. It is dated 1937, were Germany considered the enemy then?

No, I wouldn’t. My mother still has my father’s iron cross from the last war (which has a swastika on it). It’s in a drawer.

I wouldn’t hang it regardless of what guests might think. I prefer to look at peaceful things in my home.

We were trying to appease Hitler from around 1936 because we didn’t want another war and we thought, in retrospect, Germany had been treated badly after WW1.
Germany were persecuting Jews in 1937, yes.

Germany wasn’t a military enemy in 1937 (in the sense that Britain was not at war with them, I’m not saying it was a good regime!)

Maybe not the same incident, but a German ship bombed in Spain in 1937 was there enforcing an arms embargo fully supported by Britain, in relation to the Spanish civil war. I’d guess this is the incident OP’s medal refers to, as injured German soldiers were treated in Gibraltar.
(Germany was actively violating the embargo in other ways which were ignored due to appeasement, but still, this ship wasn’t viewed as enemy soldiers).

But to answer your question OP, no I wouldn’t display it. Partly because I wouldn’t display something like that without Hitler’s name on it. But even if I would, I’d feel like I had to explain it to everyone.