Lot 518

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Description:


An especially rare and chilling Dachau artifact with impeccable provenance - the official seal once used by the commandant of the Dachau concentration camp to seal envelopes for the most important correspondance. The seal, 1.5 in. dia x 4.5 in. tall, bears a wooden handle and a brass base, engraved at the bottom with a German national eagle. It is in turn surrounded by lettering: 'Kommandantur Konzentrationslager...Dachau' ('Headquarters of the Concentration Camp... Dachau'). Very light surface scratches at the bottom, commensurate with age and frequent use. Fine to very fine condition. The seal comes with a framed copy of the original letter of provenance from its 'liberator', Captain Henry P. Rost, Company E, 232nd Infantry Division ('Rainbow Division'), who directly aided in the liberation of the camp in April, 1945. Rost notes in his attestation: '...I personally inspected the main administrative headquarters. On the camp commander's desk, I found the official seal...took this seal into my possession, and on the following day, turned it in to the Committee of Liberation. On the following day, during liberation ceremonies, was presented to me, the seal of the camp and three watercolors, and a letter of appreciation, by ALBERT HEINZE, a political prisoner...' (The watercolors and original letter of provenance are being sold in a separate lot in this sale). Rost's letter is dated June 10, 1975, and it mentions the items' sale to an individual, bearing bearing the signatures of Rost, Edwards, and a notary at bottom-right. This seal would have belonged to one of two men. MARTIN WEISS (1905-1946) was commandant of Neuengamme and of Dachau in 1942. At the end of April 1945, Weiss was in Dachau, and fled on April 28 or 29, and was later captured, tried, and executed. He last served as commandant of the camp for but two days. The seal was more likely owned by EDUARD WEITER (1899-1945), who succeeded Weiss after the latter's first posting at the camp. He was assigned commandant on 30 September 1943. Conditions declined during his tenure, due to overcrowding as other more easterly camps were closed, but Weiter made little attempt to expand Dachau to cope with this influx. It is also likely that Weiter personally killed the dissident Georg Elser. Weiter did not face trial as he fled Dachau immediately before its liberation and made it to castle Schloss Itter in Austria where he died in mysterious circumstances, possibly killed by an irate fellow SS member for his lack of conviction to the Nazi cause.

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October 28, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000