A few weeks back I decided to browse eBay for militaria. Truth be told I didn’t find much. After trying some more creative words in the search bar I ended up finding this group of documents from Dr Robert M.W. Kempner.
Dr Kempner was a true fighter of nazism in every respect. He was The chief legal advisor to the Prussian police during the days of the Weimar Republic. He participated in the investigation and prosecution of Adolf Hitler and Wilhelm Frick after the failed Beer Hall Putsch. After Hitler’s rise to power Hermann Göring fired him from his government position due to his clear anti nazi stance. Dr Kempner was arrested and held in a concentration camp for two months after being accused of leaking details about Germany’s rearmament. In 1935 Wilhelm Frick revoked Dr Kempner’s German citizenship on the grounds of his jewish ancestry, and expelled him from Germany.
Dr Kempner is most well known for his role in the historic Nuremberg trials. He served as assistant US chief counsel during the trials. It was here that he was able to turn the tables against his old enemies Göring and Frick. Years later in 1961 he also participated in the trial against Adolf Eichmann as an expert witness.
The documents here all date from 1959. They’re letters between Kempner and an art gallery in Stuttgart. Some are addressed directly to Kempner himself, and others are to his son Lucian Kempner. Also included is the art catalog Kempner browsed through to decide what he would bid on. Certain pieces of art are highlighted with prices, and I can only assume this is Dr Kempner’s writing. A small bonus are a few newspaper and magazine clippings. They also date from 1959 so I assume they belong with the grouping.
These items may not be the must stunning, but they’re definitely connected to a historical figure.
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