Original Item: Only One Available. As the saying goes, "To the Victor belong the Spoils", and it was not long after V-E day that a steady stream of souvenir items began to flow out of Germany to be sold on the U.S. market. Berlin had been thoroughly bombed out, and was also in the Soviet area of occupation, which complicated things. The Obersalzberg and Berchtesgaden areas however had been taken and bombed by U.S. forces, and were quickly made into a U.S. Military base, which remained operational until 1995. This resulted in a large source of memorabilia related to the "top brass" of the NSDAP, which continued to be brought back home until the closure of the base.

This is a partial original brick measuring about 4 1/2" x 5" x 2 3/8", which was taken from the ruins of Adolf H's retreat Der Berghof in 1989 by Major Stephen O. Wallace, U.S. Army. It comes complete with a 19 May 1994 dated Letter of Authenticity, signed by then Lt. Col. Stephen O. Wallace, and also a period photograph of der führer reading at the retreat. The letter reads as follows:

19 May 1994

Subject: Letter of Authenticity Re. 3/4 Red Brick

To: Whom it May Concern

1. The purpose of this letter is to authenticate the origins of a 3/4 Red Brick currently in the possession of Mr. Frank Wood of Suffolk Virginia..

2. The brick was obtained from Berchtesgaden Germany at the ruins of the Berghof (The H***er House). The brick was taken from the portion of the ruins that once constituted the corner of the house just below the great motorized picture window. The brick was removed from the original foundation by LTC Stephen 0. Wallace (then Major Wallace) in 1989.

3. The brick was wrapped in plastic and remained in the possession of LTC Wallace until passed to the possession of Mr. Wood. I certify that the brick in Mr. Wood's possession was actually recovered as stated above and an authentic part of the Berghof.

The included photograph is actually a "cigarette card" from the Deutschland Erwacht (Germany Awakes) Cigarette card album. The brick is in very nice condition, still showing piece of the original mortar on it, and as noted in the letter is about 3/4 of a full brick. The letter definitely shows some age, and does look to have gotten wet at some point, which caused some of the colors to run. It is held in a very nice frame.

A great piece of German WWII memorabilia, ready to add to your collection and display!

Long an "alpine retreat" area for the Bavarian nobility, in the 1920s NSDAP Party Leader A H began vacationing in the area. He purchased a home in Obersalzberg in the 1930s, and would then begin work on the famous Berghof mountain retreat. As other top Third Reich figures, such as Hermann Göring, Joseph Goebbels, Martin Bormann, Heinrich Himmler, and Albert Speer, began to frequent the area the Party began to purchase and requisition land in the Obersalzberg.

The entire area was upgraded and improved to better serve as an outpost of the Reichskanzlei (Imperial Chancellery), with required improvements to infrastructure and roads. A barracks for the SS was built, to serve as a guard for the high command of the NSDAP. Rumors were also spread as part of a propaganda plan regarding an "Alpine Redoubt" for the leadership to retreat to before fleeing the country. While these were never acted on, the Allies were concerned enough that bombing runs were launched against the mountain retreat in April 1945, which heavily damaged the Berghof and other buildings in the area. It would later be captured by U.S. forces, with little to no resistance.