Signed Letter from Ernst Putzi Hanfstaengl

[wackiforkhaki]

Really cool letter written by Ernst Putzi Hanfstaengl. Dated Jan 1934, on some type of letterhead. The letter is written in English to an America professor in St. Louis Missour. and signed at bottom. I know nothing about this type of item, it was accompanied by a book that was authored or printed by Ernst Hanfstaengl. Are items signed by him common?

Any information would be welcomed.

Mike

[VtwinVince]

Mike, that is a very interesting item. You probably know about Hanfstaengl's history within the party in the early years. I've never seen this book before, and the letter, because it is in English, I find particularly interesting. Hanfstaengl's autograph does not come up that frequently, and I would love to have this group in my collection

[Br. James]

I certainly agree with VtwinVince: this is a fine set of Hanfstaengl documents and I too would love to have it in my collection! While letterhead correspondence signed by Putzi are not common by any means, it is not surprising to see one written by him in English. He was a graduate of Harvard University and his family publishing firm had offices in both Munich and New York City, between which he frequently traveled. And like Joachim von Ribbentrop who held the office of German Ambassador to the Court of Saint James, Putzi's fluency in English put him in good stead as Hitler's Foreign Press Attaché from the later 1920s until his fall from grace in 1937. The date of this letter alone puts the lie to Putzi's bio on Wikipedia: "As the NSDAP consolidated its power, several disputes arose between Hanfstaengl and Germany's Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels. Hanfstaengl was removed from Hitler's staff in 1933." Congratulations!

Br. James

[max history]

I honestly can't make up my mind about this one. There are several areas which are similar to his signature, but also a number of areas which are very worrying. I do like his use of the English language, but he did write much correspondence in English, a language he spoke fluently. If one compares it to known examples of his signature, this one does not hold up favourably. Having said that, there is something about the letter which prompts the old "gut feeling" that it might just be real. This is one which requires further examination.
His signature is not common, but it is also not highly sought after and therefore does not command high value.
Max.

[Oberbootsmann]

Old thread but I'm wondering if the Hanfstaengl document had passed around as I found it again here:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ht=hanfstaengl

Or is one of them (or both) a fake copy?

Regards