7201 - Konstantin von Neurath Autograph Letter Signed from Nuremberg to His Wife, Commenting on Upheaval in Postwar Germany

Konstantin von Neurath Autograph Letter Signed from Nuremberg to His Wife, Commenting on Upheaval in Postwar Germany ALS in German, signed “Constantin von Neurath,” one page, 8 x 11.75, U.S. Government "Prisoner of War" letterhead, March 24, 1946. Handwritten letter to his wife, sent from Nuremberg prison while on trial before the International Military Tribunal. In full (translated): "I try to give you news every week, even when I have nothing special in the way of information. At the moment, I'm suffering from a slight touch of flu, with the usual symptoms like headaches, aches in the limbs, etc. But I am already feeling better, although naturally it contributes nothing towards raising morale. I have news from Wilhelm, dated 17th. Nothing new; he is complaining again about Frau Leuterin, who is very presumptuous towards him, and wants to get Wally out of the apartment. The servants' house is packed with refugees from the East, and our house is the same. Naturally, that creates all kinds of difficulty and no one knows what will happen in the future. I have already told you in a letter that Jaanson suddenly appeared at Theda. His wife, children and parents are with him. He's in Baldur's situation, terribly miserable, looking for a place. Ignaz has been interned for months past, Peter has finally subsided completely, the hunting-lodge has been plundered. From Glattbach, the only news is that Mito was arrested, but is free again." In fine condition. Written midway through the Nuremberg proceedings, the letter offers an unusually intimate counterpoint to the courtroom record, with von Neurath focused less on his defense than on illness, family news, and the upheaval of postwar Germany. Six months later, the International Military Tribunal found him guilty on all four counts and sentenced him to 15 years in prison; he was released in 1954 on grounds of ill health after serving eight years.