Lot 345

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Description:

WILHELM KEITEL
(1882 - 1946) German field marshall and army chief of staff under Adolf Hitler, convicted of war crimes and executed at Nuremberg. A.L.S. written as a response to an inquiry by Erich Raeder's attorney, Dr. Walter Siemers, 2pp. oblong 8vo., [Nuremberg], July 12, 1946, in German and in pencil. Siemers first writes: 'Generalfield Marshall Keitel 1.) Have you heard from your brother-in-law Dr. Fontaine lately? How is he and his family? 2.) Do remember the brothers Klefel? One of them claims that you requested the death penalty for his brother, despite that Kluge didn't want to and a 5-year prison sentence was already submitted. Is that correct? Dr. Siemers 12/7/46' Keitel responds: 'Dr. Siemers 1.) No news for 4 weeks, up until then he and his family was well except his daughter, Ulla, who is still in need of care. 2.) I only know the cavalryman Kleffel, who used to be my pupil in 1921 in Hannover (cavalry school) and later on commanding general. The claim regarding the death penalty is wrong. I never submitted officer-judgements to the Fuhrer, instead they went to the chief adjutant, who submitted the judgement reports of the superiors and judges directly. I have no knowledge about the Kleffel case and judgement whatsoever. Respectfully yours, Keitel 12/7'. Very good. Rittmeister Werner Kleffel was denounced by two young lieutenants in Russia because of a defeatist statement. At that time, Kleffel worked for the command staff of the Higher Commander of the Army Group Center's supply troops and had used the well-known mocking name 'house painter' for Hitler in front of subordinates: 'Nobody can be a painter, painter, architect, general and statesman at the same time...' He is also said to have spoken of Adolf Hitler as a syphilitic and paranoid figure. On December 11, 1943, Kleffel was sentenced to five years in prison. Keitel ordered a new hearing. After a short trial, Judge Otto Wohrmann sentenced Kleffel to death on August 30, 1944. With the help of the chief judge at the Central Court of the Army, General Judge Helmuth Rosencrantz, and Chief Judge Baecker, the execution of Kleffel's death sentence was suspended. He was sent to a punishment battalion and still managed to survive the war.

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July 28, 2022 10:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

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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 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000