7053 - Hans-Georg von Friedeburg Hand-Drawn Seating Chart for the German Surrender at Lüneburg Heath (May 4, 1945)

Hans-Georg von Friedeburg Hand-Drawn Seating Chart for the German Surrender at Lüneburg Heath (May 4, 1945) Hand-drawn seating chart for the signing of the German instrument of surrender at Lüneburg Heath on May 4, 1945, accomplished in pencil on an off-white 11.75 x 8 card by Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, German Commander of the Marine High Command. Von Friedeburg writes the name and rank of each member of his delegation—"v. Friedeburg," "Wagner," "Freidel," "Pollek," and "Kinzel"—indicating each seating position with an "X," with Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery denoted merely by an abbreviation of his rank, "F. M." In fine condition. The seating plan was drawn up at the instigation of one of Montgomery's public relations officers, Major Geoffrey Keating, who can be seen in photographs of the ceremony; those images also verify that all the participants in the ceremony occupied their positions as defined in the seating plan, which was drawn up by von Friedeburg sometime between 5 PM and 6:30 PM on May 4th. On May 4, 1945, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of German forces operating in the Netherlands, northwest Germany—including the Frisian Islands and Heligoland—and Denmark. The signing took place in a carpeted tent at Montgomery's headquarters on the Timeloberg hill at Wendisch Evern, near Lüneburg Heath, south of Hamburg. Representing Germany were: Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy; Lt. Gen. Eberhard Kinzel, chief of staff to Field Marshal Busch (Commander-in-Chief of the German armies in the Northwest); Rear Admiral Gerhard Wagner, Director of the German Military Cabinet; Colonel Fritz Poleck, staff officer; and Major Hans Jochen Friedel, another staff officer. This surrender, effective from May 5 at 08:00, encompassed all land, sea, and air forces in the specified regions, including naval vessels. It marked a significant step toward the conclusion of World War II in Europe, preceding the broader German Instrument of Surrender signed on May 8, 1945.​ It is interesting to note that of the five Germans who signed the surrender documents, three died shortly thereafter: Admiral von Friedeburg committed suicide by swallowing poison on May 23, 1945; General Kinzel committed suicide on June 25, 1945; and Major Friedel was shot and killed sometime in 1945.