Three items from the final months in the life of Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring during his trial at the Nuremberg Trials. Göring, a leading figure in Adolf Hitler’s regime, commander of the Luftwaffe and the Ministry of Aviation, and one of the architects of the Holocaust.
A large photograph of Göring in the Nuremberg courtroom speaking with his lawyer, March 19, 1946, during the height of the trial, just months before his suicide in his prison cell. Size: 26×21 cm.
An issue of the French newspaper Le Monde Illustré dated December 15, 1945, during the Nuremberg Trials, featuring the first-ever publication of secret documents from Göring’s private archive. The entire issue is dedicated to the Nuremberg Trials and the fate of Nazi war criminals, including those in hiding at the time. The main article reveals Hitler’s secret letter to Göring dated March 13, 1939, on the eve of the invasion of Czechoslovakia, notifying him of the planned invasion date and requesting his absence from Berlin to distract foreign nations from the Nazi operation: “I ask you not to reveal anything about your travel arrangements at the moment. Clearly, the best cover right now is primarily your absence from Berlin.” Additional documents include detailed plans for the invasion of Czechoslovakia and personal letters from Adolf Hitler to Göring, highlighting their close relationship. In one letter dated December 24, 1935, Hitler wrote: “My dear Göring, I send you my very best Christmas and New Year’s wishes. In old and loyal friendship, and in intimate unity with you, your Adolf Hitler, ” while promising an artwork as a birthday gift. The issue also includes a newly published list of dozens of art pieces, including statues, paintings, and early sixteenth-century furniture acquired in Italy by Göring’s representatives for his private art collection, amounting to tens of millions of lira. The entire issue offers a rare glimpse into the personal relationship between the top leaders of the Third Reich and the decision-making processes that led to catastrophic historical events.
An issue of the French newspaper Libé-Soir – Libération (from editions dedicated to liberation at the end of World War II), dated May 16, 1945, a week after the war’s official end. Its headline reads: “This Afternoon at Four PM: De Gaulle Delivers the Victory Speech.” The front page features a dramatic photograph of Göring removing his insignia, under the title: “Decorations in Action, ” with the caption: “Hermann Göring, prisoner of the Americans, removes the many decorations he had so proudly displayed.” Below is a rare photograph showing Göring sitting at a table facing Allied war correspondents after his capture, described as: “At a villa near Augsburg, the Reich Marshal recounts his adventures to Allied war correspondents.” Extensive reports on the liberation of France are also included. Full issue, with stains on the front page.
