Lot 156

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Description:

HANS FRITZSCHE DID NOT 'INCITE OR ENCOURAGE' WAR CRIMES
HANS FRITZSCHE (1900-1953) Radio propaganda chief in Joseph Goebbels' propaganda ministry. Delivered regular radio broadcasts with the familiar opening 'Hier spricht Hans Fritzsche!', making him one of the best-known commentators in Nazi Germany. Fine content partly-printed D.S. 'Hans Fritzsche' in pencil, 1p. legal folio, Nuremberg, Nov. 13, 1945, a submission to the International Military Tribunal, a 'Defendant's Application for Document' for use in his defense. Fritzsche requests: 'Texts of all my broadcast addresses during the years 1932-1945' which he believes are stored in the radio room of the air raid shelter of the Reichs Ministry of Propaganda. He hopes that the documents will prove: 'That against the claims in the indictment I have not encourage[d] and incited to the commitment of war crimes and crimes against humanity, to anti-Jewish measures or to ruthless exploitation of occupied territories...' He further seeks the transcripts to refute 'select isolated sentences' which the prosecution may elect to use against him during his trial. Mounted to heavy stock, very good. A relatively minor propaganda ministry official who had not held a policy-making position, Fritzsche was included in the dock at Nuremberg in the absence of the deceased Joseph Goebbels and to mollify Soviet authorities, who held him in their custody. The Tribunal did not find Fritzsche guilty, but he would be jailed for war crimes following a second West German trial. This document originates from the files of Hans Werner, Director of Printing for the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. It was his task to publish the 42-volume record of the trial using this document and scores of others. Following completion of his task, Werner was permitted to retain possession of the documents, which were never tagged as evidence. They were then sold by autograph expert Charles Hamilton in his auctions, in 1979.

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December 7, 2021 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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