The Search for Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate Part III

Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. This is the final part in a three part series. General Truscott announced on December 29 that Third U.S. Army intelligence officers, after a long search, had uncovered important documents signed by Hitler. In announcing the find, Truscott was … Continue reading The Search for Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate Part III

The Search for Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate, Part II

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. This is the second post of a multi-part series. Hugh Trevor-Roper set out for the American Zone, probably on or about December 21, 1945.[1] On December 21, responding to a phone conversation between British and American counterintelligence officers, the … Continue reading The Search for Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate, Part II

The Search for Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate, Part I

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. This is the first post of a multi-part series. Cover page to Adolf Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate (National Archives identifier 6883511) The three couriers Heinz Lorenz, Wilhelm Zander, and Willi Johannmeier, carrying copies of Adolf Hitler’s political testament, … Continue reading The Search for Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate, Part I

cover for the book The Last Days of Hitler by Hugh Trevor-Roper

Hunting Hitler Part VIII: The Search Ends, September-November 1945

Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. This concludes the 8-part series on Hunting Hitler. The person Brigadier Dick White, head of counter-intelligence in the British Zone, would turn to in September 1945 to sort out the details of Hitler’s death was Hugh Trevor-Roper.  Born January … Continue reading Hunting Hitler Part VIII: The Search Ends, September-November 1945

Hunting Hitler Part VI: The Search Begins, May 1945

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. This is the sixth post in a multi-part series. With Adolf Hitler’s death just before 4pm on April 30, 1945, Hitler’s right-hand man Martin Bormann realized he had no position at all, unless Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz should confirm … Continue reading Hunting Hitler Part VI: The Search Begins, May 1945

Hunting Hitler Part V: The Garden (Evening, April 30)

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. This is the fifth post in a multi-part series. It was now shortly after 4pm, April 30, 1945. Both Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were dead, having committed suicide some ten minutes earlier. Linge, Hitler’s valet, placed Hitler’s body on … Continue reading Hunting Hitler Part V: The Garden (Evening, April 30)

Hunting Hitler Part IV: The Bunker (Afternoon, April 30)

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. This is the fourth blog in a multi-part series. On April 30, in his bunker, Adolf Hitler lunched with his secretaries Gertrude Junge and Frau Gerda Christian and the vegetarian cook Fraulein Constanze Manzialy from 1pm till 2pm. Eva Braun … Continue reading Hunting Hitler Part IV: The Bunker (Afternoon, April 30)

Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate: From the Bunker in Berlin to National Archives in Washington, D.C. {Part IV: The Documents Travel Through Various Agencies and President Truman Before Arriving at the National Archives}

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and is the last post in a four-part series.  The National Archives and Records Administration will display Adolf Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate (National Archives Identifier 6883511) in the exhibit “Making Their Mark” beginning March 21, 2014. This series of blogs traces the aforementioned … Continue reading Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate: From the Bunker in Berlin to National Archives in Washington, D.C. {Part IV: The Documents Travel Through Various Agencies and President Truman Before Arriving at the National Archives}

Records of the Office of the Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality Yields New Hildebrand Gurlitt Information

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher. During the past several weeks there has been international interest in the revelations about some 1,400 works of art, some allegedly acquired from looted Jewish collections, found in a Munich, Germany apartment.  Most, if not all, of the works found in Cornelius Gurlitt’s apartment had previously been in … Continue reading Records of the Office of the Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality Yields New Hildebrand Gurlitt Information

“The Numbers Don’t Add Up” — Lessons to be Learned by Archivists and Researchers

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher. In reviewing some text that we plan on adding to the International Research Portal for Records Related to Nazi-Era Cultural Property in conjunction with albums containing photographs depicting looted art work, Robin Waldman had a comment after she looked at the following: [Colonel Robert Storey, an American prosecutor at … Continue reading “The Numbers Don’t Add Up” — Lessons to be Learned by Archivists and Researchers