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Suggested Tags: Rudolf Hess, auction, collectibles, militariana, Craig Gottlieb, WWII, World War II, Germany, prison
Suggested Tweet: Auction nears end on collection of Nazi leader Rudolf Hess prison belongings
For immediate release
May 3, 2012
Auction ends this weekend on Rudolf Hess books,
photos, prison belongings during WWII and beyond
Sale draws nearly 50 bids for materials of infamous Nazi’s life behind bars
SOLANA BEACH, CALIF. – An auction of personal effects, books, photographs and other materials from Rudolf Hess' long imprisonment will end Saturday at Craig Gottlieb Auctions, which is handling the sale on behalf of a long-time former jailer of the Nazi leader.
“It’s an extraordinary collection of materials from the nearly five decades of Hess’ imprisonment, including his hand-written reading lists, material from his war years behind bars, books, blurry photos on his death-bed and more,” said Craig Gottlieb, a leading dealer in historical collectibles and antiques and owner of Craig Gottlieb Auctions. “Some of the material sheds interesting light on whether he was indeed mentally ill, as he was diagnosed at various times.”
The online auction can be found here at Craig Gottlieb Auctions (http://www.cgmauctions.com). The materials were consigned to the auction by a long-time former jailer of Hess. The collection includes a biography of Hess that he signed to the jailer while also writing that he did not agree with its positions.
Hess, who had served with distinction in WWI as a German infantryman and pilot, later became an early devotee of Adolf Hitler in the chaotic post-war years in Munich, becoming a leader in the nascent Nazi Party during the failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 and serving as Hitler's private secretary while both were in jail.
By 1939, Hess had risen to Deputy Fuhrer, third behind Hitler and Hermann Goring, in Germany’s leadership. In May 1941, as Germany prepared to invade the Soviet Union, Hess embarked on a quixotic peace mission, flying solo to Scotland in an attempt to persuade the British to sign a peace treaty. He crash-landed near Glasgow, was quickly captured and imprisoned in England for the balance of the war, including a short stay as the last man to be held in the Tower of London.
At war’s end, Hess was transferred back to Germany for trial on war crimes charges in the Nuremberg proceedings, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the infamous Spandau Prison.
At Spandau, Hess was the only prisoner the last years of his life, guarded by a force representing all four Allied powers, who frequently disagreed on his condition, treatment and continued incarceration. The frequent disagreements between the warders were effectively a mini version of the Cold War, and Soviet warders several times blocked requests by Western powers to release Hess on humanitarian grounds.
Hess died in Spandau Prison in 1987 at the age of 93, in controversial circumstances that were ruled suicide by asphyxiation. Conspiracy theorists have suggested Hess was murdered, though given his long imprisonment, extreme old age and diminished mental state, Gottlieb suggests that was unlikely.
Regardless, the materials being auctioned Saturday represent a unique view into Hess' life behind bars. Already, nearly 50 bids have been submitted for the collection.
“The material being auctioned includes Hess’ library checkout lists in his own handwriting,” Gottlieb said. “Was he really crazy? Or was he as sane as anyone? The reading lists suggest he was a very smart man. It’s an untapped resource for historians and history buffs.”
About Craig Gottlieb
Craig Gottlieb, the “History Hunter,” is CEO of Craig Gottlieb Military Antiques in Solana Beach, CA, and author of “History’s Jackpot: Investing in Antiques and Collectibles" and three other books. Follow him at http://www.craiggottlieb.com/ Gottlieb also operates Craig Gottlieb Auctions at http://www.cgmauctions.com.
Media Contact:
David Bloom
Words & Deeds
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