The virtual ice Skates museum | The ice skates of Hermann Göring

The ice skates of Hermann Göring

Any collector once find a couple of objects of which he does not know how to judge them. That feeling also exists with a pair of English ice skates made by I. Sorby, Sheffield. On both platforms the signature of Hermann Göring can be seen as well as two impressions made with a dry stamp showing the German eagle with swastika.

Left

Right

Hermann Göring (1893-1946) was born in a upper class family and educated in relatively luxury. He behaved himself as an adventurous bon vivant and developed autocratic behaviour. During World War I he was trained a fighting aviator which skills he used later on as a civil pilot with a Swedish company. In 1922, he joined the NSDAP of Adolf Hitler, whereupon a lightning career followed. He gave control to the SA, set up the Gestapo, put the Luftwaffe on legs, arranged the first concentration camps and became Hitler's confidant and substitute. After the second world war he withdrew himself from a condemnation by committing suicide in October 1946 in a Neurenberg cell.

And the ice skates of this man can be seen in The virtual ice Skates museum?!

On the Internet several signatures were found on documents signed by Hermann Göring. There seems no doubt. Also the stamp impressions are those of the German Wehrmacht in the Nazi period. But is that sufficient proof?

Nowhere a confirmation could be found that Göring has been a devoted skater. But if at some moment this should proof true it would not surprise he posessed a pair of ice skates that were rather peculiar for that time.

These ice skates are so called Fen skates.
A model that was
very popular with
English speed skaters
of the 19th century.
They have been made in
the tool factory of
Issac Sorby at Sheffield.

Issac lived around 1800,
but the trademark
was used by his successors up to approximately 1890, when the company was closed.
As Hermann Göring
was born in 1893,
this would mean
that the ice skates
were already in possession
of the family
or bought second-hand.

If you obtain any information that can enlighten the situation, please, get in touch.