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ADOLF HITLER'S CEREMONIAL DESK SET - USED IN THE SIGNING OF THE MUNICH PACT
Description
ADOLF HITLER'S CEREMONIAL DESK SET - USED IN THE SIGNING OF THE MUNICH PACT
An offering of great historic importance, the solid cast bronze desk set owned and used by Nazi Chancellor Adolf Hitler in the signing of the Munich Pact in which the Sudetenland was ceded by France and England to Germany. The Munich Pact would have consequences far beyond just that annexation, effects felt to this day. This massive ceremonial presentation measures 24 in. wide, 14 3/4 in. deep and 1 3/4 in. tall, with two columned ink wells rising 2 in. above the base of the desk set. The ink wells are filled with solid glass, each bearing an opening which at one time either held an ink cup, or was itself filled with ink. Between the two wells appears in high relief Hitler's initials 'A H' beneath and flanking a large eagle facing to its left (symbolizing the Nazi Party vs. the military) which in turn clutches in its talons a wreath encircling a swastika. A recessed rectangle beneath all supports a large, impressive brass blotter with a knurled knob, similar in design to the colonnaded ink wells. The underside of the set is lined in fine finished mahogany. In all, the desk set gives one the impression of an architectural model, actually representing two of the buildings erected at Konigsplatz. In our opinion the set was designed by Hitler, who prided himself on his architectural acumen. Photographic research shows that this desk set was undoubtedly used at the signing of the Munich Pact on September 30, 1938. Multiple images from that historic event show Hitler, Mussolini, Neville Chamberlain and French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier with this relic during the signing. This historic desk set was discovered at Hitler's private office in Munich by Lt. John L. McConn, Jr. in the Spring of 1945. McConn, a Silver Star recipient, was in command of a detachment of soldiers ordered to occupy and guard the building. In exploring the building, McConn's men found a trove of Hitler's personal effects in the basement of the building, stored there to prevent damage from the incessant bombing. The Allied Military Government was notified of the discovery, including stolen art, just as water had begun to flood the basement, threatening the priceless works, and Army brass ordered the art packed and removed. Like every other G.I., McConn wanted to return home with a good war souvenir, and was shown the desk set. McConn shipped it home to his father in Texas. Fifty years ago, McConn saw a film showing his 'war souvenir' being used at the signing of the Munich Pact. In addition to the clear photographic evidence placing this relic in Hitler's office at the signing of the pact (and it undoubtedly was used in signing other important agreements as well), other provenance included in the lot include: McConn's letter to his parents written on Hitler's official Munich correspondence card, May 6, 1945, with envelope postmarked May 9, self-censored, stating that he and his company had returned to Munich and expressing his joy that the war had ended; a 3pp. 4to. letter [undated] on the letterhead of the 'Reichsschatzmeister' ('Head Treasurer') of the NSDAP describing Russian prisoners beating their SS captors to death; a 2007 letter of authenticity from militaria dealer Stephen D. Wolfe describing the desk set: '...It is 100% original, and, unquestionably, the pieces [sic] used in the 1938 Munich Pact signing. They are certainly among the most important artifacts...Although I can vouch for the authenticity of the pieces shown me, I cannot accurately price your items, as they are unique...'; and McConn's own 2007 notarized letter of provenance, as well as several small photographs on Lt. McConn's unit on full dress parade in the Konigsplatz, and a few pieces of his uniform insignia. This important relic has not been recently cleaned, and the brass has developed a fine patina, with only a few very trivial scattered spots. It is a museum-grade relic of great historic importance!
In early 1938, already emboldened by his occupation of the Rhineland and annexation of Austria, Hitler cast his eyes upon the Sudetenland, a section of neighboring Czechoslovakia largely occupied by ethnic Germans. After meeting with Hitler, the Sudeten German Party leader Konrad Henlein issued the Carlsbad Decrees on April 24, 1938, demanding autonomy for the Sudetenland. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain believed that the grievances were justified and that Hitler's intentions were limited. France feared war with Germany, so both countries advised Czechoslovakia to concede to the Nazi demands. Czechoslovakia's Eduard Benes resisted and on May 20 a partial mobilization was ordered. After mediation, Benes submitted to nearly all of the Hitler's terms, but the Sudeten German Party provoked riots. On the same day, Hitler met with Chamberlain and demanded the swift takeover of the Sudetenland. The Czechs, Hitler claimed, were slaughtering the Sudeten Germans. Chamberlain referred the demand to the British and French governments; both accepted a German occupation. They also issued an ultimatum, making a French commitment to Czechoslovakia contingent upon acceptance. On September 21, Czechoslovakia capitulated. The next day, however, Hitler added new demands, insisting that the claims of ethnic Germans in Poland and Hungary also be satisfied. Outraged, the Czechs ordered general mobilization. Benes, however, refused to go to war without the support of the Western powers. On September 28, Chamberlain appealed to Hitler for a conference. Hitler met the next day in Munich with the chiefs of governments of France, Italy and the United Kingdom. The Czechoslovak government was excluded. A deal was reached on September 29 and on the next day Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini and Edouard Daladier signed the Munich Agreement: the German army was to fully occupy the Sudetenland and an international commission would decide the future of other disputed areas. The Czechoslovak government reluctantly capitulated. The settlement gave Germany the Sudetenland and de facto control over the rest of Czechoslovakia as long as Hitler promised to go no further. Chamberlain also asked Hitler to sign a peace treaty between the U.K. and Germany, to which Hitler agreed. Chamberlain returned to England waving the pact and declaring: 'I believe it is peace for our time…sleep quietly in your beds...'. The results of the Munich Pact were disastrous: the betrayal of Czechoslovakia cost the country its frontier defenses, 3.5 million citizens, and all of its territory. The avoidance of war prevented Hitler's generals from resigning en masse, or even staging a coup d'etat, as nearly all had predicted defeat at the hands of the French and British. Convinced they had successfully 'appeased' Hitler, the French and British neglected rearmament while Germany armed, and were totally unprepared when Germany invaded Poland a year later, with devastating results. The agreement even coercing Stalin into signing a peace pact with Hitler which would cost Russia millions of lives when Operation Barbarossa was launched in June, 1941. The Russians were likewise caught totally surprised, lulled into a false sense of security. Russia's air force was essentially destroyed within days and within a week 600,000 Russians had been killed, missing, captured or wounded.
This historic piece was previously offered and sold by us post-auction for $430,000 in 2011.
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ADOLF HITLER'S CEREMONIAL DESK SET - USED IN THE SIGNING OF THE MUNICH PACT
An offering of great historic importance, the solid cast bronze desk set owned and used by Nazi Chancellor Adolf Hitler in the signing of the Munich Pact in which the Sudetenland was ceded by France and England to Germany. The Munich Pact would have consequences far beyond just that annexation, effects felt to this day. This massive ceremonial presentation measures 24 in. wide, 14 3/4 in. deep and 1 3/4 in. tall, with two columned ink wells rising 2 in. above the base of the desk set. The ink wells are filled with solid glass, each bearing an opening which at one time either held an ink cup, or was itself filled with ink. Between the two wells appears in high relief Hitler's initials 'A H' beneath and flanking a large eagle facing to its left (symbolizing the Nazi Party vs. the military) which in turn clutches in its talons a wreath encircling a swastika. A recessed rectangle beneath all supports a large, impressive brass blotter with a knurled knob, similar in design to the colonnaded ink wells. The underside of the set is lined in fine finished mahogany. In all, the desk set gives one the impression of an architectural model, actually representing two of the buildings erected at Konigsplatz. In our opinion the set was designed by Hitler, who prided himself on his architectural acumen. Photographic research shows that this desk set was undoubtedly used at the signing of the Munich Pact on September 30, 1938. Multiple images from that historic event show Hitler, Mussolini, Neville Chamberlain and French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier with this relic during the signing. This historic desk set was discovered at Hitler's private office in Munich by Lt. John L. McConn, Jr. in the Spring of 1945. McConn, a Silver Star recipient, was in command of a detachment of soldiers ordered to occupy and guard the building. In exploring the building, McConn's men found a trove of Hitler's personal effects in the basement of the building, stored there to prevent damage from the incessant bombing. The Allied Military Government was notified of the discovery, including stolen art, just as water had begun to flood the basement, threatening the priceless works, and Army brass ordered the art packed and removed. Like every other G.I., McConn wanted to return home with a good war souvenir, and was shown the desk set. McConn shipped it home to his father in Texas. Fifty years ago, McConn saw a film showing his 'war souvenir' being used at the signing of the Munich Pact. In addition to the clear photographic evidence placing this relic in Hitler's office at the signing of the pact (and it undoubtedly was used in signing other important agreements as well), other provenance included in the lot include: McConn's letter to his parents written on Hitler's official Munich correspondence card, May 6, 1945, with envelope postmarked May 9, self-censored, stating that he and his company had returned to Munich and expressing his joy that the war had ended; a 3pp. 4to. letter [undated] on the letterhead of the 'Reichsschatzmeister' ('Head Treasurer') of the NSDAP describing Russian prisoners beating their SS captors to death; a 2007 letter of authenticity from militaria dealer Stephen D. Wolfe describing the desk set: '...It is 100% original, and, unquestionably, the pieces [sic] used in the 1938 Munich Pact signing. They are certainly among the most important artifacts...Although I can vouch for the authenticity of the pieces shown me, I cannot accurately price your items, as they are unique...'; and McConn's own 2007 notarized letter of provenance, as well as several small photographs on Lt. McConn's unit on full dress parade in the Konigsplatz, and a few pieces of his uniform insignia. This important relic has not been recently cleaned, and the brass has developed a fine patina, with only a few very trivial scattered spots. It is a museum-grade relic of great historic importance!
In early 1938, already emboldened by his occupation of the Rhineland and annexation of Austria, Hitler cast his eyes upon the Sudetenland, a section of neighboring Czechoslovakia largely occupied by ethnic Germans. After meeting with Hitler, the Sudeten German Party leader Konrad Henlein issued the Carlsbad Decrees on April 24, 1938, demanding autonomy for the Sudetenland. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain believed that the grievances were justified and that Hitler's intentions were limited. France feared war with Germany, so both countries advised Czechoslovakia to concede to the Nazi demands. Czechoslovakia's Eduard Benes resisted and on May 20 a partial mobilization was ordered. After mediation, Benes submitted to nearly all of the Hitler's terms, but the Sudeten German Party provoked riots. On the same day, Hitler met with Chamberlain and demanded the swift takeover of the Sudetenland. The Czechs, Hitler claimed, were slaughtering the Sudeten Germans. Chamberlain referred the demand to the British and French governments; both accepted a German occupation. They also issued an ultimatum, making a French commitment to Czechoslovakia contingent upon acceptance. On September 21, Czechoslovakia capitulated. The next day, however, Hitler added new demands, insisting that the claims of ethnic Germans in Poland and Hungary also be satisfied. Outraged, the Czechs ordered general mobilization. Benes, however, refused to go to war without the support of the Western powers. On September 28, Chamberlain appealed to Hitler for a conference. Hitler met the next day in Munich with the chiefs of governments of France, Italy and the United Kingdom. The Czechoslovak government was excluded. A deal was reached on September 29 and on the next day Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini and Edouard Daladier signed the Munich Agreement: the German army was to fully occupy the Sudetenland and an international commission would decide the future of other disputed areas. The Czechoslovak government reluctantly capitulated. The settlement gave Germany the Sudetenland and de facto control over the rest of Czechoslovakia as long as Hitler promised to go no further. Chamberlain also asked Hitler to sign a peace treaty between the U.K. and Germany, to which Hitler agreed. Chamberlain returned to England waving the pact and declaring: 'I believe it is peace for our time…sleep quietly in your beds...'. The results of the Munich Pact were disastrous: the betrayal of Czechoslovakia cost the country its frontier defenses, 3.5 million citizens, and all of its territory. The avoidance of war prevented Hitler's generals from resigning en masse, or even staging a coup d'etat, as nearly all had predicted defeat at the hands of the French and British. Convinced they had successfully 'appeased' Hitler, the French and British neglected rearmament while Germany armed, and were totally unprepared when Germany invaded Poland a year later, with devastating results. The agreement even coercing Stalin into signing a peace pact with Hitler which would cost Russia millions of lives when Operation Barbarossa was launched in June, 1941. The Russians were likewise caught totally surprised, lulled into a false sense of security. Russia's air force was essentially destroyed within days and within a week 600,000 Russians had been killed, missing, captured or wounded.
This historic piece was previously offered and sold by us post-auction for $430,000 in 2011.
Summer Historical Militaria & Autographs Auction
Sale Date(s)
Lots: 769
Lots: 853
Venue Address
98 Bohemia Ave Ste 2
Chesapeake City
Maryland
21915
United States
General delivery information available from the auctioneer
Shipment will be via USPS Priority Mail, Fedex Ground or DHL after receipt of payment. Due to the large volume to be shipped please allow up to 14 - 21 days after payment for your shipment. All packages require a signature upon delivery. We are happy to assist you to make arrangements for extra-large or heavy items which we cannot ship directly. Please notify us immediately after the auction if you would like to ship via FedEx on your own account, we will add an appropriate handling charge to the invoice. Multiple lots may be combined into one package at our discretion. Shipping to foreign countries is very expensive and will be invoiced according to dimensional weight as required! Please inquire before bidding!
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Terms & Conditions
1. This auction is conducted under the laws of the State of Maryland.
2. This is a live auction. The auctioneer is licensed and bonded pursuant to the laws of Cecil County, Maryland.
3. A buyer’s premium of 25% will be added to the final hammer price of each lot purchased directly through Alexander Historical Auctions and a buyer’s premium of 30% will be added to lots sold through any other third-party bidding platform, i.e. Invaluable, Liveauctioneers, Auctionzip, The Sale Room, etc.
4. The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid for any reason. In exceptional cases of clerking errors, third-party bidding platform errors, miscommunication, or other errors beyond the direct control of the auctioneer, the auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw the lot after the hammer has fallen but only before any payment has been accepted.
5. The Auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any lot for any reason at any time.
6. In the event of duplicate high bids, the earliest bid received will be the winner.
7. Some lots may carry a reserve beneath which the item will not be sold. Any reserve will always be at or below the low estimate. Reserves and maximum bids will not be disclosed.
8. All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for an immediate refund of the purchase price only. Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt. If determined to be not authentic by two independent dealers or authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale within the twenty-one (21) day period the item may be returned for a refund of the purchase price only. We do not accept authentications from JSA, PSA/DNA and BECKETT because they do not examine pieces firsthand and they have very limited experience with historic material. Some lots may be sold in as-is condition and are marked as such in the description. These items are not returnable for any reason.
9. All returned lots must be in the same condition as shipped. All items are in very good condition unless stated otherwise. Items housed in frames have not been examined outside of the frame. Lots which bear defects or damage not visible because of framing will not be subject to return because of hidden damage. Auctioneer will not be responsible for shipping costs, after auction appraisal fees, testing or any other post-auction costs. Under no circumstances will the auctioneer be responsible for lost profits or other financial damages.
10. Any lot containing five or more items is not subject to return for any reason.
11. Bidders are advised that we are not selling frames or framing glass, and therefore the condition of the frame or the glass shall not be considered reason for return. Shipping costs for framed items may vary greatly depending on the size and/or weight of the frame, and at times these charges may be quite substantial. Customers may request us to remove autographs, artwork, etc. from its frame to reduce shipping charges. We will accommodate customers in that respect for an additional charge of $10.00 per framed item, but such service will be undertaken at our sole discretion. Alexander Historical Auctions will exercise care in removing items from frames, but this is done ENTIRELY at the risk of the buyer and the buyer fully indemnifies Alexander Historical Auctions for any and all damage that may occur as a result of any attempt by us to remove the item from a frame, mat, glass, etc.
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Items are shipped with shipping advice made to purchasers in a timely matter.
Shipping, handling and insurance charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping to certain countries is extremely expensive and will be invoiced according to dimensional weight as required. Please inquire before bidding! Note: Certain items such as ammunition, firearms, large frames, fragile, large, heavy and bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer. Client must contact us to arrange for shipments of these pieces.
18. Property purchased and paid for by successful bidders but remaining unclaimed after 120 days will be deemed abandoned and title will be ceded to Alexander Historical Auctions, LLC.
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20. To ensure our historical items are delivered with the utmost care, all lots will be shipped with Signature Confirmation in place. We will gladly ship our items without Signature Confirmation at the buyer’s request, yet this will be done ENTIRELY at the risk of the buyer and only if the buyer fully indemnifies Alexander Historical Auctions for any and all related issues (delays, stolen packages, lost or misplaced shipments, etc.)
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SPECIAL NOTE ON FIREARMS: Firearms are only sold and shipped to buyers in the United States, without exception. All firearms so required by law will be shipped from a registered Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder, to a registered FFL. The buyer is responsible for locating an FFL in their locale to receive the firearm(s) and perform any required background checks. The buyer is also responsible for contacting the FFL which has custody of the guns in our locale in order to pay the necessary transfer fees and shipping and handling costs. The contact information for the shipping FFL will be provided in the successful buyer’s invoice. The transfer fees for our FFL are $45 per firearm. These fees, and any fees levied by the receiving FFL in the buyer’s locale, are the sole responsibility of the buyer.
ABBREVIATIONS: Alexander Historical Auctions utilizes the following abbreviations in lot descriptions. It is the buyer’s responsibility to read and understand these abbreviations.
A.L.S. – “Autograph Letter Signed” Letter completely in the hand of and signed by the noted individual. These letters always have a salutation, ie: “Dear Fred”, “Sir”).
A.N.S. – “Autograph Note Signed” A very short A.L.S., perhaps only a single line.
T.L.S. – “Typed Letter, Signed” Body of letter is typed.
Manuscript L.S. or D.S. – Body of the letter or document is in another hand, but piece is signed by the person of interest.
D.S. – “Document, Signed” Could be a printed document, a check, etc. Signature is hand-signed.
A.Ms.S. – “Autograph Manuscript Signed” Usually a lengthier text, no salutation, handwritten and signed by the noted individual. Ex.: a signed legal brief, a war reminiscence, etc.
A.Q.S. -“Autograph Quote, Signed” A quote of any type handwritten and signed by the noted individual.
A.M.Q.S. – “Autograph Musical Quote, Signed” One or more bars of music, with or without lyrics, handwritten and signed by the noted individual.
A.L., A.M.Q., A.Ms., A.N., A.Q. are all handwritten by the note individual, but NOT signed.
