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November 2023 Military Auction
Lot 1223:
ORIGINAL 1943 REICHSLEITER MARTIN BORMANN SIGNED BOOKHE WAS HITLER’S PRIVATE SECRETARY AND ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL INDIVIDUALS IN NAZI GERMANYKonteradmiral Karl-Jesko von Puttkamer – a gift book with dedication by Bormann, 1943. Dedicated to “Puma” which was Bormann’s nickname for v. Puttkamer. We have not seen a Bormann signed / dedicated book before and believe he didn’t generally sign anything other than documents, so it is quite rare. Full money back guarantee for authenticity of the signature and book.Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945), nicknamed ‘Brown Eminence’, was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery. He gained immense power by using his position as Adolf Hitler’s private secretary to control the flow of information and access to Hitler. He used his position to create an extensive bureaucracy and involve himself as much as possible in the decision making. Bormann gained acceptance into Hitler’s inner circle and accompanied him everywhere, providing briefings and summaries of events and requests. He began acting as Hitler’s personal secretary on 12 August 1935. After Hess’s solo flight to Britain on 10 May 1941 to seek peace negotiations with the British government, Bormann assumed Hess’s former duties, with the title of Head of the Parteikanzlei (Party Chancellery). He had final approval over civil service appointments, reviewed and approved legislation, and by 1943 had de facto control over all domestic matters. Bormann was one of the leading proponents of the ongoing persecution of the Christian churches and favored harsh treatment of Jews and Slavs in the areas conquered by Germany during World War II. Bormann returned with Hitler to the Führerbunker in Berlin on 16 January 1945 as the Red Army approached the city. After Hitler committed suicide, Bormann and others attempted to flee Berlin on 2 May to avoid capture by the Soviets. Bormann probably committed suicide on a bridge near Lehrter station. His body was buried nearby on 8 May 1945, but was not found and confirmed as Bormann’s until 1973; the identification was reaffirmed in 1998 by DNA tests. The missing Bormann was tried in absentia by the International Military Tribunal in the Nuremberg trials of 1945 and 1946. He was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. [source: Wikipedia]
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