HITLER ADOLF: (1889-1945) Fuhrer of the Third Reich 1933-45. An extremely rare A.L.S., Adolf, two pa

HITLER ADOLF: (1889-1945) Fuhrer of the Third Reich 1933-45. An extremely rare A.L.S., Adolf, two pa

‘It may be the same suffering of the eternal fight against hatred, envy and ignorance’

 

 

HITLER ADOLF: (1889-1945) Fuhrer of the Third Reich 1933-45. An extremely rare A.L.S., Adolf, two pages, small 4to, Detmold, 8^th January 1933, to Winifred Wagner ('My honoured and dear Wini'), on Hitler's personal printed stationery (with his Munich address lightly crossed through), in German. Hitler writes in bold pencil and states, in part, 'For weeks and weeks I am again involved in difficult and hard work, troubles and worries. I do not know whether you are able to understand me altogether, only I beg of you to forgive me, at least that I express my thanks only today for a present with which you gave me the most beautiful pleasure. For two years the Christmas season is only a season of sorrow for me and I cannot overcome myself to be like the years before, so I must beg you very heartily to accept my thanks this way and belatedly. I believe there will be a time when I may be able to prove my grateful attachments to you not only with words but with deeds. Unfortunately, there will always be new mountains to conquer. I can't understand today why in my youth Richard Wagner and his fate meant more to me than so many other great Germans. It may be the same suffering of the eternal fight against hatred, envy and ignorance - those are the same sorrow and only for that reason I dare, my dear Wini, to write like that to you and express my wishes on the 8^th of January while others do on the 1^st of January…..May the summer be a success for you. May fate permit me to be able to contribute somewhat…..' A letter of significant content and good association. Autograph letters of Hitler containing such private and personal content are exceptionally rare and highly desirable. Several neat tears have been professionally restored to a very high standard and only very slightly affect a few words of text, but not the signature. About VG

 

Winifred Wagner (1897-1980) English-born wife of composer and conductor Siegfried Wagner, the son of composer Richard Wagner.

 

Hitler, who greatly admired the music of Richard Wagner, first met Winifred Wagner in 1923 and the two maintained a close friendship for two decades. In 1933, the year of the present letter, there were rumours of an impending marriage between Hitler and Wagner.

 

Winifred Wagner ran the annual Bayreuth Festival from 1930-45, to which Hitler leant his support, giving it government assistance and tax-exempt status. Hitler's reference in the present letter to the summer being successful for Wagner was clearly made in relation to the Bayreuth Festival.

 

Hitler and Wagner corresponded for almost twenty years although the letters have not been disclosed to scholars and have been kept locked away by one of Winifred Wagner's grandchildren.

 

Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany on 30^th January 1933, just a matter of weeks after writing the present letter.