Description:

Impressive lot of three Dachau concentration camp prisoner's letters, each 3pp. 8vo., from CARL KARWINSKY (1888-1958), an imprisoned high-level Austrian politician, to his wife during the final two years of his incarceration. Includes: A.L.S., Sept. 7, 1940, sent with original transmittal envelope, reading in part:"My dear, Received your letter on the 5th from 31. It is so sweet, wise and brave...Of course I don't give up hope either, but it is not always easy to hold on. Otherwise I'm doing well, I'm healthy. The weather improved the last week...My dear, I'm always with you, even if it is difficult to write it..." WITH: A.L.S., July 19, 1941, reading in part:"...My dear, Yesterday I received your letter. I'm sorry you have waited in vain for my letter...Sometimes I'm tired, but it always gets better. My impatience and yearning to be with you increased since I learned that you are without our Gretel. What you had to endure is harder than my part. Let us hope that with God's help it will not be long until we are together again. I'm healthy, do not worry...Greetings [to] my siblings. They shall not write. I'm not certain it is allowed...We are together in spirit..." WITH: A.L.S., Feb. 15, 1942, in part:"...My dear, I received your sweet letter with joy. Thank you for the postal order. I manage the money well and don't need more. I thank God that you are in good health. I'm still fine...We have a lot of snow, but not very cold. Hopefully you didn't suffer too much during the cold. I often think back to our good times. I always think of our nice memories. Hopefully it won't be much longer until we are together again. Stay healthy and be brave, my dear..." All fine condition. Karwinsky, a lieutenant for the Austro-Hungarian army during the First World War, held several high-ranking positions in the Austrian government, including the Secretary of State for Justice and the President of the Federal Statistical Office. During the Nazi July coup he was in the Federal Chancellery and witnessed the murder of Federal Chancellor Dollfuss with another member of the Federal Government, Minister Emil Fey. After the country's annexation into the German Reich, Karwinsky was arrested and sent to Dachau concentration camp on June 24, 1939. Likely as a disciplinary measure, he was later transferred to Mauthausen concentration camp - a camp with comparatively harsher conditions - from September 1939 to April 1940. Karwinsky then returned to Dachau for almost two more years, during which time these letters were written, spending a total of three years inside the KZ system before his release in August 1942. Concentration camp letters from prominent individuals are very rare.

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March 31, 2020 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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