7154 - Julius Streicher Document Signed at Nuremberg (1945), Seeking a Witness to Deny Involvement in the Seizure of Jewish Property

Julius Streicher Document Signed at Nuremberg (1945), Seeking a Witness to Deny Involvement in the Seizure of Jewish Property Nazi politician and propagandist (1885-1946) who served as Gauleiter of Franconia and founded and published the virulently antisemitic newspaper Der Stürmer. Convicted of crimes against humanity at Nuremberg for his incitement to persecution and extermination of Jews, Streicher was executed by hanging on October 16, 1946. DS in German, one page, 8 x 12, November 25, 1945. A “Defendant’s Application for Summons for Witness,” prepared for submission to the International Military Tribunal in support of Julius Streicher’s defense at Nuremberg. He requests that “Gau Treasurer Hoellrich” be called to testify, stating: “Through this witness I can prove that I did not participate in the forcible transfer of Jewish real estate to Gentile ownership, which took place toward the end of 1938 or the beginning of 1939, that these forcible transfers were undertaken without my knowledge by Gau Leader Holz and that I refused to shield Holz before the Fuhrer afterwards thus drawing this enmity upon myself.” Signed at the conclusion in pencil by Streicher and by his attorney. Restored to fine condition. The document was professionally conserved in the early 1980s, with the work carried out under the supervision of the India Office in London. Karl Holz (1895-1945), Streicher’s deputy at the time of the seizures, later succeeded him as Gauleiter of Franconia; Streicher had supported Holz’s advancement. Immediately following Kristallnacht, Holz commenced seizing Jewish homes, property, and businesses. Jewish owners were generally allowed only 10% of the nominal value of their property or claims. To justify these low prices, Holz claimed that Jews had mostly purchased their property during the inflation period for a tenth of its value. An investigation examining numerous individual cases selected at random found this claim untrue. According to the supplied provenance, the document originates from the personal archives of Hans Werner, who, as Director of Printing at the International Military Tribunal in 1945, was responsible for overseeing the printing of the Record of the Trial of Major War Criminals for the Nuremberg Trials.