Description:

(GERMAN-AMERICAN BUND) FRITZ KUHN LETTER GROUPING (81)
(1896 - 1951) Controversial leader of the German American Bund, prior to World War II. A naturalized citizen of the United States, he was arrested as an enemy agent and held by the federal government at an internment camp in Crystal City, Texas. His citizenship was canceled on June 1, 1943 and he was deported to Germany. Historic grouping of 64 A.L.S.s each signed 'Fritz' and 'Fritz Kuhn', approx. 126pp. 4to. June 9, 1940 to Mar. 22, 1942, all written in ink and pencil from his prison cell at Dannemora State Prison in New York to his wife Else, then living in Westchester County, N.Y. The letters, all censored, are fairly routine in content yet nonetheless still quite revealing. They read, in part: '...I do a lot of thinking this days...My thoughts going around in circles...I am not ashamed what I did and you know it...Nothing matters so long as I know you are standing by me...we try to forget then about this bad dream...You know I can't tell you no news from here...I am still working and that helps to pass the time...I have built my own world inside of me...how many friends I had one or two years ago and how many I have now. Then hundreds wanted to see me and today, maybe half a dozen...I read something in the paper about what happened in Camp Nordland [a Bund camp] - it really means nothing to me any more. Today - hosiana - tomorrow - crucify him...I don't need them...I should never have taken up my friends...I wish too the war would be over...whatever I did wrong in my life I paid very very hard for it...we can't sink much deeper any more...I don't feel ashamed at all, I have nothing done to be ashamed of...I don't care what the newspapers have to say about me...There is so much killing going on these days [in Germany] everyone has to look out for himself...I can imagine how the propaganda runs high this days...Don't believe all the propaganda you read...Yes, what a world and sometimes I think what a fool I was just to make an attempt to make to better it. War between nations never will stop...We all have to go some time, so why fight?...we will profit from this terrible lessons we got only for telling the [truth]...there isn't much to live for, but for our children...' Kuhn shows throughout the correspondence his devotion to his wife and he struggles to elevate her spirits (she appears to suffer from depression), while at the same time despairing of his own condition and also obscurely mentioning errors he had made - but regretting nothing. Without failure he asks after his son and his daughter, away at school in Munich, and proclaims his love for his wife. Every letter is signed 'Fritz" at conclusion, as well as 'FRITZ KUHN 26558' in block letters as required by prison authorities. Most are water stained though not affecting legibility. WITH: a heavily annotated 1932 day book, signed within by Kuhn's wife ELSE KUHN; WITH: about 22 A.L.S.s, perhaps a few partial, from Kuhn's daughter WALTRAUT KUHN (b. 1920), about 10pp. total, Munich, ca. 1938-39, all to her mother with routine content, some badly water stained and affecting legibility; WITH: seven A.L.S.'s from Kuhn's son WALTER KUHN (b.1926), about 12pp. total, ca. 1941, sent from Oakland Military Academy to his mother, here also some badly water stained and affecting legibility. Walter and his mother ELSE KUHN would also be arrested on federal immigration charges. A fascinating archive.

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March 26, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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