Does anyone know about this document? large size and one page with plain folded page cover. What is the Luftwaffe association with this man?
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If that signature is supposed to be Hitler's then I think the citation is fake I'm afraid. -
No embossed eagle either.
JeffComment
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There should also be a date. No promotion document without the date of the promotion - not
even a year is given...!
GerdanComment
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Good points all! The date should appear above the "Der Führer" line; perhaps this document was never completed and someone faked Hitler's signature later? The signature does not appear true and the missing embossing with the Great Seal of Germany indicates that this document, if genuine to the period, was never completed. Also missing is the signature of the senior official who proposed this promotion; such signature should appear on the lower right-hand corner.
I am uncertain as to what branch of government is being referred to in this document.
Br. JamesComment
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Is this rank high and does anyone know who this man is?Comment
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Hi Ron,
Well, my translation abilities are 'out of a can' -- meaning that I refer to a computerized translation program -- but it seems to me that the two titles involved on this document have to do with architecture in some way. I'm postulating that "Regierungsbaurat" means "Government Buildings Adviser" and "Oberregierungsbaurat" is therefore "Senior (or Chief) Government Buildings Adviser." Both seem to carry a higher rank, as one would suppose given that the German President (Hitler) would have the responsibility for officially promoting a person from one level to another.
That is admittedly only a guess on my part. Hopefully others here will have deeper knowledge of the language and be able to give a better response.
Br. JamesComment
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I'm still of the opinion that this is a faked document but the career involved is architecture. Here is an example from my collection with the counter-signature being that of Albert Speer, issued just 7 days after the assassination attempt on Hitler.Comment
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I am tending to be with Br. James as unissued and this could be an earlier form of the document with difference in the lettering. I know this man existed and was of this type of rank as I have been told. So, more to learn IMO.Comment
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Br. James
those promotion documents (lower ranks) haven not been signed by Hitler personally. It was
only a facsimile signature but the second signature, below right bottom, should be original.
GerdanComment
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Thanks, Gerdan; I do agree. My problem with the original document provided by Ron in his note #1 was not only the style of the supposed AH signature, but also it's placement on the document. By the early 1940s there had developed a standard document format which included Hitler's facsimile signature printed there, toward the center of the page and just below the last line of text. We see an excellent example of this type of document in Ron's note #9, which left plenty of space for the embossing with the Seal of State as well as the endorsement from the senior official presenting this document to Hitler, in his role as President of Germany, on the lower right hand corner. But the "signature" in note #1 not only looks off in style, but it is also misplaced on the document. As I said previously, this looks to me like someone has come upon an uncompleted promotion document and has added Hitler's "signature" in an effort to increase the historical originality of this piece and also it's sale value. But the forger didn't know enough about his subject to do the job correctly! Just my impression, of course.
Br. JamesComment
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