A routine visit to a state fair in Charleston, South Carolina, led to an extraordinary find for 29-year-old collector Ronald Baxter Jr., who unknowingly purchased a set of unseen Holocaust documents for just $12. Baxter, who has been collecting World War II memorabilia since the age of 10, was stunned by the significance of his discovery.
A surprising find amid controversy
The documents were discovered against a backdrop of protests and demonstrations in the United States, where schools protested Israeli attacks on Palestine, and Nazi descendants marched in support of Israel.
During a visit to the Charleston State Fair, Baxter stumbled upon a book containing what he later realized were rare Holocaust documents. Upon returning home and examining the 2,000-page book, Baxter was overwhelmed by what he found. The book contained a comprehensive list of concentration camps and the names of those imprisoned there.
“When I saw Hitler’s name, I was like, wow, this is World War II,” Baxter, an engineer from Charleston, recounted. “After all the research I have done into World War II, I have never seen anything like this. In all the years I have been collecting, this is the rarest thing I’ve seen.”
Priceless historical value
Baxter expressed uncertainty about the monetary value of the documents but has been contacted by several museums interested in showcasing the book. He hopes that the information within the documents could help connect family members with their history. “Hopefully, some of the family members can reach out to me,” he said. Although Baxter discovered the documents in April 2020, he only recently revealed his find to the public. Now considering selling the book, the young collector has sparked interest from historians and institutions eager to preserve this rare piece of history.