Doc. signed by Claus Stauffenberg

[crfraser]

I purchased this photo a couple of years ago, shortly after the passing of Nina von Stauffenberg. Its Claus von Stauffenberg's own personal souvenir of a 1929 cavalry dinner attended by many senior officers of the WWI Bavarian cavalry regiments, a dinner hosted by 17. Reiter Regiment. The photograph is by Heinrich Hoffmann and attached to the rear of the photo is a sheet of paper signed by 39 officers, including Claus von Stauffenberg (still an officer cadet with 17. Reiter at that time). The page and photo are both stamped with Claus' own personal stamp (top right corner) so it is evident that it was he who pasted the sheet to the rear of the photo.

The sheet is signed by 6 people who were directly or indirectly involved in the German Resistance and more specifically the July 20, 1944 bomb plot. These include Claus von Stauffenberg, his Uncle Berthold (died in Gestapo custody as a Sippenhaft prisoner), Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod (executed as a result of the bomb plot), Rudolf Graf von Marogna-Redwitz (executed as a result of the bomb plot), Joseph Ernst Erbgr. Fugger von Glött (member of the Kreisau Circle sentenced to 7 years in the same Peoples' Court trial as von Moltke), and Franz Freiherr von Redwitz (a Bavarian monarchist resister who escaped consequences).

Interestingly the document is also signed by another assassin of a German head of state. Anton Graf von Arco auf Valley shot down Bavarain PM Kurt Eisner in the street in 1919. Count Arco was only let out of prison when his cell was taken over by Adolf Hitler after the Beer Hall Putsch.

Colin

[crfraser]

Rear of photo with signatures

Here's the reverse sheet on the back of the photo with pencil signatures. The signatures I have ID'd so far keyed to the picture with the numbers. If anyone can assist with other signatures I would appreciate suggestions.

1 ?
2 v. Walther
3 Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – Claus von Stauffenberg’s uncle – died in Gestapo custody (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
4 Ferdinand von Robell (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
5 Freiherr von Könitz
6 Hartmann Maria Freiherr von ow auf Wachendorf (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
7 August Freiherr Leuffel von Birtenlee (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
8 ?
9 ?
10 ?
11 ?
12 Freiherr Reichlin von Heldegg
13 Graf Anton von Arco auf Valley – assassinated Bavarian PM Kurt Eisner 1919 - (Linien-Infanterie-Regiment "König")
14 v. Bressensdorf
15 Oskar Freiherr Kress von Kreffenstein (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
16 Heinrich Freiherr von Könitz
17 Heinrich Freiherr Aretin
18 Franz Freiherr Redwitz (Pers. Adj KronPr. Ruprecht von Bayern)
19 Rath
20 Joseph Ernst Erbgr. Fugger von Glött – member of the Kreisau Circle – sentenced to 7 years (a.l.s.b. Armee)
21 Karl Graf von Moy (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
22 Freiherr Speidel (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment & 17. Reiter Regiment)
23 Graf Sandizell
24 Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod – executed Berlin Ploetzensee 26.08.44 (17. Reiter Regiment)
25 Prinz Ferdinand von der Leyen
26 ?
27 Albert Freiherr Aretin (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
28 ?
29 Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – executed Bendlerstrasse 21.07.44 (17. Reiter Regiment)
30 ?
31 ?
32 Freiherr Kramer
33 Friedrich Freiherr von Bonnet zu Meautry(1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
34 ?
35 Rudolf Graf von Marogna-Redwitz – executed Berlin Ploetzensee 12.10.44 (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
36 Heinrich Gonnermann (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
37 Max Freiherr von Mauchenheim gennant Bechtolsheim (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
38 ?
39 Ferdinand Graf von Arco Zinneberg (1. Schwere Reiter Regiment)
40 Claus von Stauffenberg's personal stamp


Colin

[crfraser]

Close-up of Claus' signature

Here is Claus' signature magnified.

Colin

[McCulloh]

now-that's history!

wow!

All I can say is "wow".

It's like the opening picture credit for the film.

[crfraser]

Memorial tablet from Bamberg

Here's a photo from Wiki of the 17. Reiter memorial tablet that lists several of the signers of this page.

Colin

[Paul Giva]

Hi Colin,

We are privileged to have you aboard, my friend.

[VtwinVince]

Colin, that is one of the most interesting autographed items I have seen lately. How did you come by it? I have a nice signed photo of Nina von Stauffenberg in my collection.

[crfraser]

Hi VtwinVince:

I collect German resistance-related autographs and documents and currently have more than 100 in my collection. In general, this material is quite pricey and very rare, particularly the civilian conspirators or those in staff jobs (e.g. Abwehr). I had been looking for a Stauffenberg signature for 5 years before acquiring this item from a German dealer in mid-2006. As you can guess, Claus von Stauffenberg is an incredibly rare signature as most of his family papers and correspondence were scooped by the security service after July 20 and have never resurfaced. Most of the Stauffenbergs I have seen on the market or heard about in other collections are military pieces rather than personal documents.

The dealer had 3 Stauffenberg-signed documents and several other documents addressed to Claus von Stauffenberg on offer. One of the autographs was a far superior ink signature on a bond but I was drawn to this one instead given the additional signatures and the research opportunity. I'd never before seen a non-military document signed by Claus, let alone one that can be attributed as his own personal souvenir. Also, the dealer had not identified the signatures of Leonrod, Marogna-Redwitz, and Fugger. But then he only had possession of the doc. for a few days. I lucked out as I don't expect that I would ever have found those signatures elsewhere. Having them all on one page makes this a unique document IMO.

Cheers

Colin

[Simon O.]

Have you matched names to faces?

[crfraser]

Matching photos to names

Its on my to do list Simon.

The difficulty is that many of these officers are probably not well known. Any available illustrations of them will probably be from the 1914-1918 period and this photo is 10 years on. I'm trying to get all the signatures but have run out of steam on them. Any help would be gratefully received.

I did send a copy fo the photo to the Bavarian Army Museum but they were not able to ID anyone in the photo except Prince Alphons of Bavaria (centre left turned with his right arm on the chair back).

I have obviously looked for Stauffenberg but given the rank of the officers in the picture, as a cavalry officer cadet he might have been right at the front or way at the back, despite this being the regiment that inherited his Uncle Berthold's regiment's history.

Thanks

Colin

[McCulloh]

I suspect I know several persons who can help.
I recognize several faces in that photo. The center table is Wittelsbach heavy and note the vicious looking chap on the far left with bald head!
I suspect Count Stauffbrg. is the chap behind the soup tureen.

[Justin P]

Colin Thats out standing Photo and Group of Sigs.

[crfraser]

Updated signatures

With some assistance of a group on another forum, and after accessing the 1. Schw. Reiter Regiment's books thanks to a monumental digitalization project through Ancestry.de, I have been able to update several of these signatures.

Almost everyone is associated with 1 Bavarian Heavy Cavalry or its brigade/division staff in WWI or else with 17. Reiter Regiment, its Reichswehr descendant and Claus von Stauffenberg's unit before he joiend the GS.

Here are the signatures:

1 Eckart Anton von Pappus und Trazberg Freiherr Zu Laubenberg und Rauhenzell
2 Richard? Walther
3 Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
4 Ferdinand von Kobell
5 Hans Freiherr von Koenitz
6 Hartmann Maria Frhrr von Ow Auf Wachendorf
7 August Freiherr Teuffel von Birkensee
8 Karl Wilhelm Leonhard Czermak
9 unknown 9
10 unknown 10
11 unknown 11
12 Stephan Freiherr Reichlin von Meldegg
13 Graf Anton Alfred Emil Hubert Georg Arco Auf Valleÿ
14 Hans Erwin August Friedrich Bresselau von Bressensdorf
15 Oskar Frieherr Kress von Kressenstein
16 Heinrich Freiherr von Koenitz
17 Heinrich Freiherr von Aretin
18 Franz Freiherr Redwitz
19 Leonard (or Hans) Räth
20 Joseph Ernst Hermann Theodor Karl Maria Erbgr. Fugger von Gloett
21 Karl Graf von Moy
22 Karl Freiherr Von Speidel
23 Carl Max Graf Von und Zu Sandizell
24 Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod
25 Ferdinand Maren Harthard Antoius Michael Josef Prinz von Der Leyen und Zu Hohen Geroldseck
26 Franz Freiherr von Pfetten
27 Albert Freiherr Aretin
28 Robert Karl Banfield
29 Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
30 unknown 30
31 unknown 31
32 Otto Freiherr Von Kramer
33 Karl August Friedrich Freiherr von Bonnet Zu Meautry
34 Josef Fries
35 Rudolf Graf von Marogna-Redwitz
36 Karl Georg Bernhard Ritter von Gonnermann
37 Maximilian Freiherr von Mauchenheim Genannt Bechtolsheim
38 unknown 38
39 Ferdinand Graf von Arco-Zinneberg
40 Claus von Stauffenberg's personal stamp

If anyone would like to have a bash at unknowns, I would appreciate any suggestions but realistically I think its time for


Not much luck on the photos but one eagle eyed contributor did ID a LaPo officer who is almost certainly Franz Ritter von Seisser (1874-1973), head of the Bavarian State Police 1919-30. He was a key player in the Beer Hall Putsch. He's the bald chap on the left who looks a bit like actor Roy Marsden of Inspector Dalgleish/Sandbaggers fame - i.e. the vicious looking chap with the bald head noted in McCulloch's posting above.

Colin

[Paul Giva]

Great investigative work! And again, that is one superb piece of history! Thank you for the update.

[Mithrandir]

Fantastic piece of history!!
And priceless for all times!!
Thank you for showing us!