7157 - Fritz Sauckel Autograph Manuscript Signed at Nuremberg - A 35-Page Declaration of Innocence: "In no way am I a war criminal"

Fritz Sauckel Autograph Manuscript Signed at Nuremberg - A 35-Page Declaration of Innocence: "In no way am I a war criminal" AMS in German, signed three times, "Fritz Sauckel," 35 pages on 18 sheets, no date but circa 1945. A detailed autograph declaration of innocence written by Sauckel as a prisoner shortly after his capture, addressed to the camp commandant and American authorities. He opens by identifying himself as a former sailor and factory worker who understood the hardships of the German people, and states plainly, "In no way am I a war criminal, just as many of my fellow comrades are not." The manuscript goes on to discuss Hitler's leadership, the changing role of the Nazi Party, and his own claimed exclusion from policy decisions, laying blame for the concentration camps on Himmler and Bormann while denying any knowledge of the atrocities. He closes with a statement on behalf of the German people: "The German People have acted in absolute trust; they fought for their lives, gave their best, and sacrificed all for it. They are totally innocent of any actual happenings." In fine condition, with overall toning. Written little more than a month after Germany's surrender, before any formal charges had been filed against him, this is Sauckel constructing his defense from the very first days of captivity, a position he would hold through his conviction and execution sixteen months later. He was found guilty on two counts, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and hanged October 16, 1946.