Hitler's desk 'may sell for $1m'

The oak pieces were acquired by an anonymous US collector after being sold by the US government, according to the London-based dealer Minas Katchadorian.

They were in Hitler's apartment when he signed the joint declaration, ahead of WWII, with Neville Chamberlain in 1938.

Bids for the furniture, which is being sold privately, are now being accepted.

"The pieces are expected to achieve a figure in excess of £1m "
British dealer Minas Katchadorian

Mr Katchadorian, who also operates from West Sussex, said the sale was already attracting interest.

"It is a fine quality, understated bourgeois piece of German furniture of that period, which has been in obscurity for decades," he said.

"The pieces are expected to achieve a figure in excess of $1m.

"In November 1929, during the period when Adolf Hitler was being introduced into society and positioned for high political office, he took delivery of a suite of furniture for his private residence in Prinzregentenplatz, which had been commissioned for him by I.H. Frau Bruckmann, the privy councillor.

"It was a fascinating period and we really enjoyed researching the pieces - discovering Hitler's day-to-day-life."

The furniture, which included a desk, a bookshelf, a table and chairs, was manufactured by the former Bavarian court furniture maker, M Ballin.

The rectangular desk has a leather writing surface in its centre and a drawer on each side with each latch bearing the Ballin company name.

Below the drawers are cupboards and in the left hand one there is an iron plate bolted to the base - it is thought possibly, for a safe.

When Munich fell in early 1945, it was occupied by the US Army.

Mr Katchadorian added: "Little is known about how the desk and chair found their way to America but the US government held a sale of wartime confiscated artefacts during the early 1970s.

"It is possible that this was when the furniture was sold into private hands.

"It may well find itself in a museum or a university collection if it is not bought by another private buyer."