Description:

HANS FRANK'S NUREMBERG TRIALS ‘SUNGLASSES'
HANS FRANK (1900–1946) German politician, war criminal, and lawyer who served as head of the General Government in German-occupied Poland during World War II. He took part in the failed Beer Hall Putsch, and later became Adolf Hitler's personal legal adviser as well as the lawyer of the NSDAP. In June 1933, he was named as a Reichsleiter of the party. In December 1934, Frank joined the Hitler Cabinet as a Reichsminister without portfolio. After the German invasion of Poland in 1939, Frank was appointed Governor-General of the occupied Polish territories. During his tenure, he became directly involved in the mass murder of Jews and oversaw four of the extermination camps. Frank remained head of the General Government until its collapse in early 1945. During that time, over 4 million people were murdered under his jurisdiction. At Nuremberg, Frank was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and executed by hanging in October 1946. An extraordinary, very chilling relic of Frank's final days, the ‘sunglasses' with case provided to Frank and worn by him during his trial to lessen the effects of the exceeding bright lights used to film the proceedings. The Polaroid glasses are what one would consider even now to be a modern design: rimless polycarbonate lenses with attached nose piece, a broad rim at the top, and flexible metal arm ends to fit about the ears. The glasses come in a green leatherette Polaroid case with snap, and Frank's name appears within beneath a very old piece of cell tape. The glasses are accompanied by a period typed letter of provenance from a U.S. soldier attached to the Judge Advocate General's office at Nuremberg, Major W. J. Fratelier, 1p. 4to., Paris, July 8, 1946. ‘Bill', as he signs, writes to his father, in part: ‘…I want to share a remarkable encounter I had in the Officer's Lounge at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg. I met and had a drink with Col. [Burton C.] Andrus [1892-1977, commandant of the Nuremberg Prison]…In his opinion, we should simply hand ‘the bastards' and he is quite vocal about it. He spoke extensively about Goring. He then began discussing Hans Frank…After several drinks Andrus offered to give me Frank's pair of sunglasses…He said he had given Goring's away…They have been issued to all the accused…the very next day, a box arrived containing the sunglasses, courtesy of the U.S. Army. You can expect to receive [them]…in about four weeks…' With transmittal envelope postmarked the same day, July 8, 1945. Some of the most frightening images from the Nuremberg Trials are those showing the most evil defendants, including Frank and Goring, appearing even more menacing ‘concealed' behind these sunglasses. Frightening.

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December 5, 2024 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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